Forever
by DoomedRomance
Summary: x-over with Highlander. Duncan comes to Sunnydales and finds out some surprising things. B/A


This story takes place when Joyce is still alive. She's still running the art gallery. Buffy is in college. She and Riley are dating. Adam does not exist. Spike has the chip and Angel is in LA with Cordelia.  
FOREVER  
  
Duncan McCloud walked into the small art gallery in Sunnydale CA. He was here to find a painting that he had owned over 225 years ago. He had lost it during the Revolution, when his home was attacked by the red coats. He had thought it destroyed until he saw it in a magazine article about this gallery. It was given to him by the artist, who later died in the massacre. It held sentimental value for him. The artist was a trusted friend.  
Joyce summers was expecting Mr. McCloud. He told her he was interested in paintings about the American Revolution. She was hoping to make a significant sale for the gallery.   
Duncan walked up to Joyce and introduced himself.  
"Hello, Mr. McCloud. It's a pleasure to meet you in person."  
"The pleasure is all mine. You are even more lovely than your picture." Duncan replied. He always did have a way with the ladies.   
She held out her hand for him to shake, but instead he bowed slightly, took her hand and kissed it softly.  
Joyce was very impressed. This man had a style that she had not seen before. He seemed ageless.  
Duncan was getting ready to ask about the painting when he got the feeling. There was another of his kind close by, but by the feeling, not a powerful Immortal. A pre-immortal maybe?  
At that moment, Buffy, Xander, Anya, and Willow walked through the door. Duncan knew the feeling was coming from one of these people, but they were so close together. He couldn't single out the source. The young people all seemed at ease, so he was sure the person was a pre-immortal.  
"Hi, mom."  
"Buffy, Hi. Buffy, I would like for you to meet Duncan McCloud. Mr. McCloud has come to look at some Revolutionary Art."  
Buffy looked at the man. His eyes were something else. They reminded him alot of Angel. They looked as if they held the knowledge of the ages. They held more knowledge than anyone his age would have access to. However, she wasn't feeling a vampire or demon, but a vague sense of something else. He wasn't evil so she held out her hand.  
Duncan looked at the petite blonde as she walked a couple of steps away from the group. It was her. She was the source. She stepped closer to him and he was sure she was a pre-immortal. He took her small hand and bowed and kissed her hand gently.  
Buffy was shocked. That was a very old tradition. The only other person to ever kiss her hand, was Angel. She wondered again about this Duncan McCloud.  
"Pleasure to meet you, Buffy." he said with an accent Buffy was sure the women went crazy for.  
Buffy had many things she wanted to say. But, with her mother here, she only replied, "Thank you, Mr. McCloud. I'm pleased to meet you."  
Joyce said, "Buffy, why don't you and your friends wait in my office while I show Mr. McCloud around. I'll be there when I get a chance."  
"Sure, mom."  
"Nice to meet you Mr. McCloud." the group replied in unison.  
"Please, it's Duncan, for all of you."  
  
Buffy was still wondering about Duncan when they got into her mother's office.  
"Wow," said Willow. "Wasn't he gorgeous! Those eyes and that hair, and that body."  
"Will," said Xander shocked. "What were you doing looking at him? He's got to be in his thirties. He's way to old for you."  
"Well," started Anya. "I'm over one thousand years old. He's not too old for me. Willow's right. He's gorgeous."  
"Come on Buffy, help me out." Xander pleaded, but Buffy was lost in her own thoughts, and was not following the conversation.  
"Buffy," Xander said as he waved his hand in front of her face.  
"What? Sorry, I zoned out. What is it?" Buffy asked.  
"We were talking about the McCloud guy. The other girls think he's hot. What do you think, Buffy?" Xander asked, hoping she wouldn't agree with the other two.  
"I think there was something about him. He seems so much older than he looks. When I got close to him I was having this weird feeling."  
"What kind of feeling? Was he a demon or something?" Willow wanted to know.  
"No, it was nothing evil. Just a weird sensation. When he kissed my hand, I would swear electricity passed between us. It was too weird. It's giving me a bad case of the wiggins."  
They all looked out the window of the office to see Joyce and Duncan in the Revolutionary art portion of the gallery. They studied him, but were unable to see anything, other than what looked like an average man. The only difference was the way he moved. He moved lightly and with more grace than the average man. It reminded Buffy of the way Angel moved. Like he was constantly alert and waiting for trouble.  
*Damn, girl. Get a grip. So, he reminds you a little of Angel. Angel is gone. You have Riley now.*  
Buffy decided to come back and talk to her mother later. Riley was supposed to meet her at Giles' house and they were going on patrol. So, she scribbled a note to her mom about when she would be home and they left.  
Duncan knew the moment she walked out of the gallery. His "Immortal alarm system" went back into scanning mode. He needed to know more about this girl. She had an unusual strength. She could be a powerful immortal in the future.  
Duncan had finished his tour and found the painting he wanted. He wasn't interested in the others, but he wanted to talk to Mrs. Summers about her daughter so he feigned interest in the rest of the displays.  
They haggled briefly about the price of the painting, but Duncan wanted her to make a profit and come out on top, so he agreed to her price. To him, the painting was worth alot more. They agreed to have the piece shipped to his antique shop in New York. He no longer lived there, but still had a trusted friend run the place for him.  
"I'm sorry you didn't get to talk to your daughter." Duncan said as he saw her pick up the note and read it.  
"That's not a problem. Buffy comes and goes when she pleases. She just wanted to know when to be home for dinner."  
"She's very beautiful. I'll bet you've had a hard time keeping the boys away from her."  
Joyce sighed, "There was only one we couldn't get rid of. He just refused to let go."  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up an unpleasant memory."  
Joyce looked up and smiled, "No, that's fine. Would you like to have dinner with us, tonight? It'll be better than the food in some of the restaurants around here."  
Duncan saw the chance to learn more about Buffy, so he accepted with pleasure.  
  
Buffy and Riley arrived at Buffy's house just in time for dinner. As she walked up on the porch, she had the weirdest sensation. It was just tingle throughout her body.  
  
Duncan was sitting in the living room when the sensation hit him. She was here.  
  
Buffy and Riley walked in the door and Buffy came face to face with Duncan.  
"Hello, Buffy. Nice to see you again."  
"Hi. What are you doing here?"  
"Your mother invited me for dinner." "Oh, O.K. Duncan McCloud this is Riley Finn."  
"Pleasure to meet you, sir." replied Riley as he extended his arm.  
They shook hand while Duncan was thinking. Everything about this Riley boy shouted military. Being a veteran of several wars and several armies, he picked up on this quickly.  
Buffy walked into the kitchen to help her mother and left Duncan and Riley to make small talk.  
"So, Riley. What do you do?"  
"I'm a TA for a psychology class and a student at Sunnydale College."  
"How interesting. What is your major?"  
"I'm majoring in psychology. My TA class is for freshman, just beginning."  
"Psychology is very fascinating. I studied it a bit myself years ago."  
"Are you from around here, sir?"  
"Please call me Duncan. Sir makes me feel so old. I'm living in LA right now. I have a gallery in New York. I spend time there, occasionally."  
Buffy walked back into the room and took a seat next to Riley. They preceded to make small talk for the next 30 minutes. Duncan took in everything carefully. He was convinced Riley Finn was in the military. The way he moved, the way he held his body, even the way he called him sir. It all pointed to military. He never mentioned the military and wasn't old enough to have joined and been discharged. He was hiding something, Duncan was sure of it. Buffy, too, was more than she seemed. He couldn't put his finger on what bothered him about her. She seemed like a normal teenager. She had her boyfriend, her college life, and her friends. There was something telling him, she was so much more. She had a problem with authority. He could tell. Duncan had trained enough immortals over the centuries to be able to spot a teenager with an attitude.  
After dinner, Joyce was pouring coffee for herself and him, when Buffy announced she and Riley were leaving.  
"What's the rush?" Joyce asked.  
"I have some things to do." Buffy said, pointedly, looking at Joyce.  
All of sudden Joyce seemed to understand. She sighed, "O.K. but be careful."  
"Always, mom." Buffy leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll call you later this week. Love you."  
"Love you too, Buffy."  
"Nice to see you again, Mr. McCloud." Buffy said, and then was out the door.  
Duncan noticed the exchange between mother and daughter and was now convinced there was more going on than met the eye.  
He excused himself shortly after coffee. He told Joyce he had enjoyed his evening, but it had been a very long day. He was going back to his hotel to get some sleep.  
  
Duncan was walking back to his hotel when the tingle started. She was close by. He looked around. The only thing around was the cemetery. What was she doing in the cemetery at this time of night? He pulled the sword he always kept with him and cautiously made his way into the cemetery. He hadn't gone far when he heard the sound of fighting. He look through a small grove of trees to see Buffy and Riley, now in combat gear, fighting five vampires. Some immortals did not believe in vampires, but Duncan knew better. He had met up with several over the years. The two young people seemed to be doing amazingly well, so Duncan just watched.  
  
Buffy noticed the slight tingle in her back, but was too busy to be curious about it. Two of the vamps came at her as a double team. She used a headstone to flip into the air and kick both of them in the face. A third came up and she did a sweep with her leg that left him on his back. She whipped out her stake and dusted him, just as the other two were getting up. She looked over at Riley, who was dealing with two vamps of his own. They finished with the other four vamps. The vamps didn't stand a chance. Between Buffy's slayer abilities and Riley's weaponry, they were finished in no time.  
  
Duncan stood back in the shadows and watched the fight. This girl was no ordinary girl. No ordinary girl could move like that. Her speed and fighting abilities were astounding. The boy was doing O.K. He moved and fought well, but he didn't have the abilities the girl had. Riley had to rely on weaponry, while Buffy relied on her skill. It was truly amazing. Duncan knew about vampires, but had never heard of the slayer. He wasn't interested in vampires and had never researched them. So, he didn't know what he was watching. All he knew was this was going to be interesting. She could be turned into a full immortal at anytime. She was doing something very dangerous. All it would take was a vampire getting lucky and she would wake up very different. He needed to know more. He needed someone who knew alot about vampires and such. He knew an agency in LA. They had helped Joe out, not too long ago. Joe's bar had become a vampire hang out, much to Joe's dislike, and he had hired this agency to get rid of them. They had done a good job, too.  
So with one last look at Buffy and Riley, who were now sitting on the ground, kissing, he turned and left the cemetery without a sound.  
  
"Angel Investigations, we help the helpless," came Cordelia's cheery voice over the line.  
"Nice to hear your voice again, Cordelia. This is Duncan McCloud. Is Angel in?"  
"Duncan, Hi." Cordelia said, dreamily. "No, Angel isn't here. He's out on a call. Is something wrong? Have the vampires came back to "Joe's Place"?"  
"No, they haven't come back. I just need some information. I need to talk to someone who knows alot a vampires."  
"Well, Angel is the guy. He should be back around sevenish. Why don't you come over? I'm sure he'll be glad to talk to you."  
"Well, I'm not in LA at the moment. I'll give him a call though."  
"O.K. Duncan. I'll tell him to expect your call. Bye."  
Cordelia hung up the phone, disappointed. She thought Duncan McCloud was absolutely perfect. He was good looking and rich. He didn't flaunt it or anything. Just everything about him said, taste.   
  
Duncan knew vampires existed, but he didn't know Angel was one them. The only vampires Duncan had ever seen were evil. He had alot of respect for Angel because of the way the business at "Joe's Place" had been taken care of. Angel's knowledge of vampires was astounding and the way he worked was something. It only took Angel a week to convince the vampires that "Joe's Place" was not where they wanted to hang out. Duncan and Joe had not been there. Angel convinced them it would be better and safer if they were somewhere else. Duncan wanted to stay, but short of telling Angel what he was, there was no way.  
  
Angel arrived back at the office in a good mood. It felt good to fight something. He had worked off alot of stress by fighting the Shay demons that were nesting in the basement of a nightclub on the other side of town. They didn't want to go quietly, so he had to get rough. Since Buffy had come to visit him at Thanksgiving, Angel hadn't had many good days. Then, there was that disaster of her coming back to warn him about Faith. They had been very unkind to each other. Thank God he hadn't gone to Sunnydale like he was planning. Cordelia talked him into apologizing by phone. Kicking an evil beings butt was his only enjoyment these days.  
"Hi, Cordy. Anything interesting happen while I was gone?"  
Cordelia was surprised by the tone of his voice. Angel wasn't normally Mr. Good Mood. She didn't question it, just enjoyed it, although it was always brief.  
"You got a call from Duncan McCloud. He said he needed some information on vampires. I told him you were the man to talk to."  
"Is he going to drop by?" "No, he's not in town. He's going to call back though."  
"That curious. I wonder what he wants to know. Is he having vampire problems where he's at?"  
"He didn't say. He just wanted to talk to you."  
"O.K. I'll be in my office when he calls."  
At dark, Duncan went out in search of Buffy. He didn't want anything to happen to her until he found out more information. He knew vampires could turn someone into a vampire, but what if an immortal were turned? He had never heard of this happening but it concerned him. Duncan found her in the cemetery, once again. Last night, briefly, he thought the fight may have been a one time occurrence, but no. She was very comfortable with what she was doing. It was obvious this was a way of life for her. But, why? Why would a beautiful, young woman go out every night to kill vampires? It made no sense to him. Riley he could understand. He had figured out that Riley was undercover. He worked for the military, but his cover was as a normal college boy. Did he get her involved? No, she fought too well for this to be a new thing. Joyce had mentioned they had only been dating a couple of months. He was just going to make sure she was all right and go back and call Angel. He couldn't do anything until he got some answers.  
  
Riley and Buffy were strolling through the cemetery, hand in hand. It had been a boring night. They had only seen two vampires. They were going to make one more round and go back to Riley's dorm for some "other type of exercise". Buffy was tingling again. She couldn't figure it out. It had just started yesterday. It would go away and then come back. It wasn't painful, but for some reason, it made her jumpy.  
  
Duncan watched the couple for a while before deciding to go back to his hotel. They hadn't seen any vampires and watching the two of them kiss and make out was making Duncan feel like a voyeur. He turned to leave and came face to face with a bleach, blonde man just watching him.  
"Ya know. If she knew you were watching her and Fish-boy, she would kick your arse, mate. She's not your average teenager. It would be in your best interest, to leave her alone."  
"And who might you be. I can't quite place the accent. Where did you pick it up? Some B movie maybe?"  
Spikes eyes narrowed. *Who was this guy? He's not a demon or vampire, but he doesn't feel entirely like a human either? Why was he watching Buffy and Fish-boy?* Spike was curious.  
"Spike's the name. Now, who are you?"  
"Doesn't matter. What do you mean, she's not an average teenager? She looks pretty normal to me."  
"Goes to show what you know. Don't mess with her. It could be hazardous to your health."  
"How so? Do you mean because of her boyfriend?"  
Spike threw back his head and laughed. "HIM! No, you don't have to worry about Fish-Boy. Buffy is the one to worry about."  
"Why?"  
"If you mess with her, you'll find out. Trust me, don't let her catch you watching her." "I was just leaving."  
"Smart move."  
Keeping an eye on Spike, Duncan exited the cemetery and went back to his hotel.  
Spike watched the man go. Buffy would want to know about this. He was starting to feel protective of the pint sized slayer. She should know she was being watched. Maybe she would pay him. He needed blood. He couldn't hunt and his supply had run dry yesterday. He was hungry. So, he turned to go tell the slayer about her admirer.  
  
"Angel Investigations," came a male voice over the line.  
"This is Duncan McCloud. Is Angel in, please?"  
"Duncan, hello. This is Angel. How can I help you?"  
"I need someone who knows everything about vampires. I have a situation here."  
"Where is here?"  
"I'm in a little town called Sunnydale, here in California."  
At the mention of Sunnydale, Angel stiffened. What was he doing there? No wonder he wanted information. He was on a hellmouth.  
"Angel, are you still there?" Duncan asked when Angel did not respond.  
"Yeah, I'm here. What are you doing in Sunnydale? It's not exactly a metropolis."  
"You know this place?"  
"Yeah, I've been there."  
"Yes, well, I've run into something quite interesting here, and I don't know what to do."  
"Duncan, your best bet is to finish your business there and leave. See, Sunnydale sits on top of a gateway to hell, also known as the hellmouth. Supernatural things are drawn to the place like flies. The town is full of vampires and various other unearthly things."  
"Unfortunately, I can't leave right now. I'm in the middle of something with the local art gallery."  
"Does Joyce still run the place?" asked Angel, his voice saying he wasn't comfortable talking about her.  
"Yes, do you know her?"  
"We've met a couple of times." Angel replied, not wanting to go into it.  
"So what do you want to know?" Angel asked to change the subject.  
Duncan noticed the change but didn't mention it.  
"I want to know how a vampire changes a person into a vampire. How do you defend yourself from a vampire? What part of the myths are true and which are imagination? I want to know everything."  
So Angel told him about the change. A vampire drinks a person almost completely dry, then cuts themselves and lets the person drink some of their blood. He also explains that when the person is turned, the soul dies and a demon resides in the body. The demon still had all the memories of the human, and some of the personality, but was not the person. Duncan didn't know that. He just assumed it was the person, just a vampire. He told them crosses, holy water, a stake to the heart, and beheading were ways to kill a vampire. Duncan perked up the beheading part. He could do that. Lord knows, he's had enough practice. Angel also told him about the extra strength that came with being a vampire.  
When he had finished explaining vampires he asked, "Why do want to know?"  
"I just want to know how to protect myself while I'm here." Duncan lied smoothly.  
"Just stay in at night and don't invite any strange people in. You'll be O.K. If you had to go to town filled with vampires, you went to the right one." "Why is that?" Duncan asked, curiously. He could hear the sadness in Angel's voice, although he hid it well.  
"You came to the one town with a slayer."  
"What is a slayer?"  
Angel sighed. He really didn't want to talk about her, or explain her.  
"A slayer is a chosen one. She fights vampires and demons. It is her destiny. She isn't an ordinary girl. She has powers. She has the speed and strength of vampires, plus she heals very fast. They usually don't last very long. Most are called in their early teenage years and don't make it past 21. Their identities are kept secret so the vampires can't come after them."  
Duncan didn't know what to say. Now, he knew why Buffy was so good. She was the slayer.  
"Duncan, are you there?"  
"Yes, I'm here. I think I've stumbled across the identity of the slayer. I was out last night and saw her and her boyfriend fighting in the graveyard."  
Angel's voice trembled as he asked, "You've seen Buffy?"  
The fact that Angel knew the slayer surprised Duncan, but he replied, "Yes, I met her at the gallery and Joyce invited me over for dinner."  
"You said she was with her boyfriend?" The pain in Angel's voice was perfectly clear and Duncan was figuring things out pretty fast.  
"She was. I'm sorry, Angel."  
"Sorry, for what?" Angel asked.  
"I take it you didn't know she had a boyfriend." "Yes, I knew about Riley.   
Yes, she is the slayer." Angel said, changing the subject. "She is one of the best slayers ever. She's also one of the strongest. She is special."   
"You sound as though you know her really well."  
"I did at one time. I left Sunnydale almost a year ago."  
"So, that's how you know so much about vampires. She must have told you everything." "No, Duncan. I still know more about vamps than Buffy. There are some things she could never understand." Angel replied, with more than a little bitterness in his voice.  
"I'm sorry I brought up some bad memories. Thanks for the information. One more question. Has there ever been a slayer turned?"  
"No. Most vampires want their children to be weak so they can control them. A slayer would be too strong. They would be masters and their sires would be the servants."  
"Thanks, again."  
"Duncan, are you going to see her again?"  
"I don't know. I may run into her again at the gallery."  
"Did she look all right? Did she look happy. I really need to know."  
"She looked great. As for happy, I guess so. When she was with her friends she looked happy. When she was with her boyfriend, I don't really know. They seemed to like each other and they got along well enough, so I guess she's happy with him."  
"Would you do something for me?"   
"Sure, Angel. What do you need?"  
"Don't mention to her that you know me. It may bring back some things she really doesn't want to remember." Angel replied, the sadness in his voice obvious.  
  
Spike walked right up Buffy and Riley as they sat in the cemetery.  
"Why don't you two get a room? This isn't the best place to be doing that, ya know."  
"What do you want, Spike?" Buffy asked in annoyance.  
"I just wanted you to know that I'm not the only person out here tonight. You and Riley here had a hidden visitor over there in the bushes a little while ago."  
"What are you talking about? Who was watching us and how would you know about it?" Riley asked.  
"Didn't catch his name. He was tall with dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. Looked to be in his thirties, but there was something about him, that made him seem older. He knew who you were, slayer. He wasn't here by accident."  
"Thanks for the info. What do you get out of it?" Riley asked.  
"I was hoping I could get a meal or two out of the deal. I gave you information, so how about you giving me a treat?"  
Buffy rolled her eyes and dug into her pocket for some money. She handed it to him and told him the butcher in town would supply him with fresh pig blood.  
"And Spike." Buffy called as Spike turned to walk away. "Keep your eyes open. If you see him again, try to find out who he is. It could be worth something to you."  
  
As Buffy and Riley were walking home that night, they were talking about the mystery man.  
"Spike would have told us if he was a vamp or demon. So I wonder, why was he watching us? We weren't fighting any vamps in that cemetery. For all he knew, we were just a couple hiding out in the cemetery." Buffy mused.  
"There are all sorts of weirdoes out there, that aren't anything but human. Maybe, he just wanted to watch you. You are beautiful, you know."  
Buffy smiled, "Thanks, but I have a feeling there's more to it. From Spike's description, the man could have been Duncan McCloud. But, what would he be doing in the cemetery?"  
They had arrived at Riley's dorm.  
"Why don't we forget about it tonight? We can look into it tomorrow. I'll have the guys at the initiative run a check on this McCloud guy.   
  
The next day, Duncan was back at the gallery. He really wasn't interested in buying anything else, but wanted a reason to be in town. He wanted to learn more about Buffy without revealing anything about himself.  
  
Riley knocked on Buffy's door and walked in with a file in his hand.  
"Buffy, you're not going to believe what I've found on Duncan McCloud."  
"What is it?"  
"It seems there has been a Duncan McCloud around since records have been kept in America. It's a pretty odd name and it just doesn't fit that there isn't any time in American history, that there hasn't been one around. There's something not right about him. And, look at this."  
He held out a faded picture of a soldier in a Union uniform. It was the spitting image of Duncan.  
"That's only one of many pictures of the same man, from many different times. Here's another one from World War I."  
Buffy stared at the picture. It was definitely the same person.  
"I think we need to have a chat with Duncan McCloud." Buffy said.  
"Buffy, we don't want to go off half cocked. I've got the name of the hotel where he's staying. I say we do some recon. before we confront him."  
"O.K., but first I want to stop by the gallery. I want to know what he's looking for there."  
  
Buffy and Riley arrived at the gallery to find Duncan and Joyce engaged in conversation about a Revolutionary art piece.  
"Duncan, your knowledge of history is astounding. Where did you learn all this?"  
"Mostly, on my own. I just have a great interest in history." Duncan said, as he felt the tingling go up his spine. He turned just in time to see Buffy come through the door.  
"Hi, guys. What's going on?"  
"Duncan was just amazing me with his knowledge of history. He knows more than most books I've ever read."  
"Isn't that interesting. Wonder how he knows so much?" replied Buffy, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.  
Duncan caught the sarcasm, but choose to ignore it completely.   
"So, Buffy." Joyce began. "What brings you to the gallery on such a beautiful day? Don't you have class this afternoon?"  
"No, it's a free day. I was just wondering if Riley and I could come by for dinner tonight. I need to talk to you about something."  
"Sure. I won't be home until late, though. Why don't you come by about eight. I'm sure I can whip something up."  
"Thanks, mom. We'll see you then."  
"Nice to see you again Buffy." Duncan said as she turned to leave.  
She turned back around and with a very strange look on her face said, "Yeah, you too. I'm sure we'll see each other again." Then she was gone.  
Duncan didn't like the feel of the air. Her entire attitude towards him had changed. Did she know who he was? How could she possibly find out? What about the blonde man? Did he have something to do with the new attitude? And Riley, there was definitely something hostile in the way he was looking at Duncan. Consumed with his thoughts, he made his excuses to Joyce and headed back to his hotel. He thought he might need some help with this. It was time to call Joe. The watchers were bound to find out about Buffy sometime. It was better that they be prepared.  
  
Buffy and Riley watched Duncan leave the gallery. Something told Buffy she needed to keep her distance from him, or risk getting caught. So, they followed him, at a safe distance, back to his hotel.  
When they got there, Riley went to have a closer look. He walked up to the window, just in time to see Duncan take out the sword that was slung between his shoulder blades.  
*What on earth? Why is he carrying a sword?*  
Duncan then walked over to the phone and dialed a number. Riley couldn't hear the conversation, so he went back to tell Buffy.  
  
"Joe's Place" came a voice on the other line.  
"Joe, this Duncan. I am in need of watcher services."  
"OH NO, Duncan. Everytime I do something for you, I interfere. We are only supposed to watch, remember."  
"I know, Joe. I have a little situation here. I have found a pre-immortal and I think she is on to me. She suspects I'm not what I appear."  
"I thought you would have learned after 300 hundred years."  
"That's just it. She's not an ordinary girl." And Duncan preceded to tell Joe about Buffy being a vampire slayer and his talk with Angel. He also told him of the change of attitude the girl had toward him.  
"So, my question is, what now? She will be a powerful immortal, if she retains her slayer abilities after her first death. I just don't know what to do. She could die at any time. She goes out night after night to fight vampires. The odds of her surviving for very long, are very bad. Angel told me the majority of slayers don't reach the age of 21."  
"O.K. Duncan. I can send a watcher for her."  
"NO!! I don't want them to know about her until they have to. When she dies will be soon enough. Why don't you come?"  
"I can't come to Sunnydale. What about the bar?"  
"Let Ritchie run it for a while. He can handle it."  
Joe was not sure about that, but he couldn't turn Duncan down. So he said, "All right, I'll be there in two days. I have to finish some business here."  
"Thanks, Joe. I owe you."  
  
Duncan looked out the window to see the sun setting. He decided to go see what Buffy was up to. He would start in the graveyard. So he settled his sword between his shoulder blades and headed out.  
Buffy and Riley watched him leave and followed at a safe distance. They wondered why he was headed for the graveyard.  
  
Duncan walked silently through the cemetery. This was the second one and still no sign of Buffy. He was about to give up when two vampires jumped out of the bushes in front of him, with game faces on.  
"Look what we have here, dinner." said one with a disgusting grin.  
"Sorry guys, I'm really very high in fat. Could be hazardous to your health." Duncan replied.  
"Oh, we got a comedian here. You won't be laughing for long." Then, they came for him.  
Duncan smoothly pulled the sword from it's hiding place, much to the astonishment of the two vamps. They were undecided about how to proceed when one was tackled by Buffy and the other was punched by Riley. Duncan hadn't felt her presence until she tackled vamp. He was distracted by the two blood suckers. Buffy and Riley quickly took care of the two vampires and then turned to question Duncan, who was still holding his sword.  
"That's a very unusual weapon you have there. Care to tell me why you're in a cemetery, in the middle of the night, carrying a huge sword. If you were hunting vampires, a wooden stake is lighter and much easier to use." Buffy said.  
"I am very comfortable with my sword. I carry it with me everywhere I go."  
"Why?"  
"Protection."  
"From what?"  
"Everybody has enemies. I just don't want to be defenseless."  
"O.K., enough of the nice talk! Who are you and why are you in Sunnydale?"  
"You know who I am. I came here for a painting." "You already bought the painting. It's being shipped tomorrow. Your business is finished. Why are you still here?"  
Duncan didn't answer.  
"O.K. Let's try another question. What are you?"  
"What? I'm sorry. What are you talking about?"  
"Drop the act. We did a little checking into your background. Seems you've been around for a long, long time. Longer than any human. So, what are you?"  
"I don't know what you're talking about." Duncan replied and started to turn and walk away.  
Buffy grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. Duncan was amazed by her strength.  
"No, you don't. Not until I get some answers."  
"Look, you have secrets, like being the vampire slayer. I have secrets. I'm not evil, and I'm not a threat to other humans. Happy now."  
"No, I've heard that before, and it's usually not the truth. You've been watching me and I want to know why."  
Duncan considered what to tell her. Most people couldn't accept that immortals existed. But, this girl fought vampires and demons. It probably wouldn't be too much of a stretch to believe in an immortal. But he couldn't tell her about her destiny, could he? Pre-immortals were not supposed to know their fate.  
"O.K., I'll tell you what you want to know. Just not here. Can we go back to my hotel?"  
"O.K., but no tricks."  
  
They arrived back at Duncan's hotel. Duncan offered them refreshments, which they declined. He then unsheathed his sword and let Buffy examine it. She was trained in the use of a sword, and at times enjoyed using one. But, for everyday slayage, her stake was good enough. She was impressed by this sword, however. It was perfectly balanced and felt good in her hands. Duncan watched her with the sword. She would make a wonderful swordswoman someday. He could see she had a love for a good sword.  
With the pleasantries out of the way, they got down to business.  
"You may not believe what I have to say." Duncan began.  
"We live on a hellmouth and fight vampires and demons." Buffy interrupted. "I don't think you can shock us."  
"O.K. then. I am an immortal. I cannot die. I will live forever. I am over 300 years old." Duncan said, simply. Then he waited for their reaction.  
"How is that possible?" Buffy began. "You're not a demon or a vampire. I can sense those. There is something about you that sets off my radar, but I don't know what it is."  
"We're really not sure how it's possible either. All I know is after our first death, we cannot die. We may look dead for a little while, while our bodies heal, but we always come back. We heal very quickly. A stab wound heals in an hour or so."  
"So," interrupted Riley. "Why carry the sword? If you cannot die, why do you need protection?"  
"There is one way to kill an immortal, beheading. It's all part of the game." Duncan then went on the explain the rules of the game. He told them about the quickening, and the head hunters, who were the immortals who seek out other immortals for their quickening. He also told them about the prize and how "In the end, there can be only one". He didn't tell them about the watchers. Immortals weren't even supposed to know they existed.  
All in all, they took it all in better than Duncan had hoped. After all, they did very odd things for a living.  
"This is all very interesting, but I still have one question." Buffy began. "Why were you following me?"  
This was the part Duncan was hoping to avoid. He was hoping the whole immortal thing would be enough to take her mind off that. Now that it hadn't, he didn't know what to do. Then he thought about what Angel said about not telling her that she knows him. He let out a silent prayer that Angel would forgive him for what he was about to do.  
"A friend of mine LA knows you. When he found out I was coming here, he told me about you. I just wanted to be able to go back to LA and tell him you were all right."  
"And who might this friend be?" Riley asked, afraid he already knew the answer. Buffy didn't say anything. She did already knew.  
"His name is Angel. He runs Angel Investigations."  
"So, Angel wanted you spy on my girlfriend while you were here. Is that it?" Riley said, angrily.  
"No. In fact he didn't ask me to do anything. He just told me about the town being filled with vampires and that I was lucky there was a slayer in town. He didn't even tell me your name. I figured it out on my own.  
I'm sorry if I scared you. Honestly, the only reason I came to town, was to buy my painting. Everything else happened by coincidence."  
"How is Angel?" Buffy asked. She talked to him after her disastrous visit to LA, when he called to apologize. They both said things that hurt.  
"He's good. He has built a very good business."  
"Oh, I'm sure." started Riley. "There are advantages to being..." He was cut short when Buffy elbowed him in the stomach.  
"What did you do that for?" Riley asked, getting angry. "If he doesn't know, he has a right too!"  
"Riley," Buffy said, started to get angry at Riley. "It's not our place. If Angel wants him to know, he'll tell him. I will not betray him like that."  
"BETRAY HIM!!! Buffy."  
"NO, Riley. That's enough."  
Duncan sat back and listened to the exchange. So, Angel had a few secrets of his own. He wouldn't pry. He respected Angel too much for that.  
"Angel doesn't know about me, about being immortal. We don't know each other that well, but I have alot of respect for him. We all have secrets. His don't concern me. He is a good man."  
When he said that, Riley let out an angry laugh. "That's a joke." Riley said, and walked out of the room.  
Duncan and Buffy were left alone. He could see her pain, both at the mention of Angel and the actions of Riley. He wanted to help her, but he didn't know how. He knew the pain of love lost. Everyone he ever loved had died.  
"Duncan, I'm sorry about Riley's outburst. He's pretty touchy about Angel."  
"That's not a problem. I've lived too long for small things to worry me."  
"Well, then. I guess I'll go. Thank you for confiding in me. Your secret is safe with me. And regardless of what Riley thinks, Angel is one of the good guys. You can trust him."  
After she left, Duncan thought about what she said. Joe couldn't stay here forever. He needed to let someone close to her know about her, someone he could trust. Angel obviously still loved her. When Joe arrived, Duncan would leave for LA, and a talk with Angel.  
  
Angel was sitting at his desk, thinking about, who else, Buffy. Every since he talked to Duncan, he couldn't get her out of his mind.  
Duncan gently tapped on the door of his office.  
Angel looked up and saw him.  
"Hi, Duncan. What brings you here? I thought you would still be in Sunnydale."  
"I have something I need to talk to you about. It's about Buffy."  
Angel felt immediate fear, and his eyes showed it. Duncan saw this and tried to put him at ease.  
"She fine, for now. It's her future I want to talk to you about."  
"Sit down, please. What's going on?"  
"I have a few things to tell you. I'm afraid you may not believe me at first."  
"Duncan, you'd be surprised at what I can believe."  
"First, I need your word, that what is said, never leaves this room."  
"Of course, you have my word."  
"In your investigations, have you ever came across an immortal?"  
"Sure, vampires and most demons are immortal." "No, that's not what I mean. Have you ever encountered a human immortal?"  
"Duncan, those two words together are an oxymoron. There are no human immortals."  
"I'm afraid you're wrong, Angel. You see, I am immortal, and I'm not a demon or a vampire, or a witch or anything like that."  
Duncan went on to explain immortals, again. Angel didn't comment, just sat an listened. When he was finished, Angel asked the question.  
"What does all this have to do with Buffy?"  
"Well, immortals have a warning system that alerts us know when others of our kind are close by. When I got close to Buffy, I felt it. She is a pre-immortal."  
"Duncan, I know you know how it works, but I don't see how it's possible."  
"Why not? All the signs are there."  
"Well, see, Buffy has already died one time. Her friend, Xander, brought her back with CPR, but she was dead long enough for a new slayer to be called."  
Duncan puzzled with that for a couple of minutes, then asked how long she was dead.  
"Only about two minutes."  
"She wasn't dead long enough. She was brought back before she could change and by normal methods, so avoiding becoming immortal at that time. Believe it or not, Angel. If Buffy dies a violent death, she will be reborn. You said yourself, slayers do not have a long life span, but Buffy will. While you age and die, she will always be young."  
Angel looked hard at Duncan before saying, "Duncan, you have trusted me with something very few know about. I am honored, but I have my own secrets. I think I can trust you with mine. You are wrong about me aging. I, too, am immortal, but not in the way you and Buffy are. Do you remember about the demons in vampires?"  
"Yes, you said the soul dies and a demon inhabits the body, and they are evil."  
"Yeah, well, I'm a vampire, with my soul. The where's and why's are a long story. The short part is, I'm not evil. I have my soul. The demon is still inside me, and I fight him on a daily basis, but I win."  
Duncan was astonished. He didn't know what to say, so he just sat there.  
"Duncan, why did you tell me about Buffy?"  
"I need someone to be there when she dies and is reborn. Someone to fill her in on what's going on. She's going to wake up confused and angry and hurting."  
"Why didn't you tell Riley? He'll be with her." Angel said, bitterly.  
"Riley can't handle it. He wouldn't know what to do. He is not ready to deal with it. She told me I could trust you, and you care about her."  
"What about her watcher, Giles and her friends?"  
"I don't know them. I don't know that I can trust them, or that they'll react any differently than Riley."  
I love her, Duncan. I won't deny it, but it doesn't change anything. We can't be together. And, you can trust Giles and her friends. They have never let her down. They have been there for her through everything."  
"Why can't you two be together? Is it because you're a vampire and she's the slayer? Love doesn't care about any of that."  
"That's only part of it. I wanted her to have a normal life, with someone in the sun. I wanted her to have a family, children and grandchildren."  
"Angel, I hate to break this to you, but unless she gives birth before she is reborn, she won't be able to have children. It is the one curse of being immortal."  
"It isn't just that. I can't love her like a man."  
"What are you talking about?"  
Angel really hated this part, but Duncan had to know why he couldn't go back to Buffy. So, he began, "When I was first turned, I was like any other vampire. I had no soul, no remorse for the things I did. I was one of the most feared vampires in Europe. I went by the name of Angelus. For over 100 years, I terrorized every place I went. Then, about 100 years ago, I fed off a Romani girl. She was a favorite among her clan. The elders cursed me by restoring my soul. I have to live with all things the demon did before my soul was restored. What they didn't tell me, was the way to break the curse. I didn't find out what it was until it was too late. The stipulation was, that even one moment of pure happiness and contentment would break the curse. They wanted me to suffer, not be happy. Buffy and I made love, and broke the curse. Angelus was released and terrorized Buffy and her friends, killed people, and tried to open the gate to hell. Buffy's friend, Willow, recursed me. But she was too late. Buffy had to send me hell to close the gate. One minute she was fighting Angelus, and the next she had to send the man she loved to hell. I still don't know how I got back, but I know we can't be around each other. Buffy and I together is not possible. I loved her enough to leave, hoping she could have a half way normal life. I can't go back now. She has Riley. I can't do that to her."  
"Angel, I hate to be the one to break the news, but she doesn't love Riley. She might like him, she may even think she loves him, but I've been around a long time. I know love when I see it, and she in not in love with him."  
"It doesn't matter. Even without Riley, I can't go back. I can't control myself when we're close, neither of us can. I can't risk letting the demon out again. I can't do that to her, again. She has given up so much for me. It wouldn't be fair to her. She deserves someone normal."  
"Angel, let me tell you about normal, for an immortal. Normal is falling in love, and then watching the person you love age and die, while you stay exactly the same. Normal is wondering if some headhunter is going to take your head while the person you love is watching. I've lost so many people I love. You two have an advantage. Neither one of you will ever age. You can always have each other."  
Angel was getting very upset. "You still don't understand. How can I ask her to spend eternity with me? I can't walk with her in sun. I can't make love to her. I can't ask her to give that up for me!"  
"Just think about it Angel. When she is reborn, she is going to need someone, and I have a feeling, Riley will not be there. He will find out, and he will bolt. I can almost guarantee that. He doesn't have the strength of character to be able to handle this. I'm sure he's a good person, but he's military. He gets orders and he does them. The military is not big on free thinking. The military is structured and secure. I just don't know if he can handle something that is not catalogued and explained."  
"Duncan, his unit studies vampires and demons. Immortals are not a big stretch."  
"They are unexplained. No one knows why or how it happens. There won't be anybody that can explain to him, why, this happened to Buffy.  
Just think about it. I'll be in touch." finished Duncan, and he walked out the door.  
  
Duncan had just reached his car, when his cell phone rang.  
"Duncan McCloud."  
"Duncan, this is Joe. I just wanted to let you know that you're not the only one in LA. Buffy and her boyfriend left about an hour ago. Seems he talked her into going to LA for a shopping trip. I'm following them on the interstate now. We should arrive in LA soon. So far, she's not done anything dangerous. I just hope she doesn't run into any other immortal in the city."  
"O.K., Joe. Don't worry. There aren't many in LA, now. They've mostly migrated to New York. That's one reason I came to California. Just keep an eye on her. I'm going to go home for a while."  
"What about Angel? Is he going to help us?"  
"I don't know, Joe. Things between the two of them are complicated. I hope he'll come around, soon."  
"What if he doesn't?"  
"If he doesn't, I'll have to put my faith in her watcher."  
  
Buffy was still angry with Riley for his outburst two days ago. He didn't know Angel and had no right making judgments about him. This trip was Riley's latest effort to make things up to her. He wasn't sure why he got so angry. Maybe it was because, sometimes, when he was with Buffy, he got the feeling, she was wishing he were Angel. Even though he had never met the guy, he felt Angel's ghost haunting their relationship.  
Buffy hadn't spoken 10 words to Riley since they left Sunnydale. She was still mad at him. She knew she was probably overreacting, but she couldn't help it. Riley could be so self-righteous sometimes. It was going to be a long day. How did she ever let Riley talk her into going to LA? Knowing she would be in the same city as Angel did something to her. She wanted to see him, to make sure he was O.K., but she knew Riley would never go for it. Even the mention of his name was enough to set him off.  
  
In all, they had a pretty good day. Buffy enjoyed shopping and some of her anger was beginning to fade. Riley wasn't completely forgiven, but was on his way.   
When they left the last store, it was dark. They decided to get a hotel room tonight and head back home tomorrow. After they rented their room they decided to go out for a night on the town. They decided to go to a club they spotted on the way in. It was called "Silver Bullet". Buffy decided she needed some fun time, without demons and vampires, so off they went.  
  
Angel was getting ready to go out for a walk when the phone rang.  
"Angel Investigations"  
"This is Robert Longley, with the "Silver Bullet". We've got a situation here. Those demons that you killed a few days ago. Well, they had friends and they aren't happy. They're trying to get in. We've locked the doors and aren't letting anyone out, but it won't be long before they bust in. Hurry! We need help!"  
"I'm on my way."  
Angel didn't stop long enough to think. He grabbed his jacket and was out the door.  
  
*Man, this ain't good.* thought Joe as he watched the demons trying to get through the door. He had a very boring day, watching Buffy and Riley shop, and he didn't mind. Sometimes boring, was good. He was paying for it now. McCloud would want to know. He picked up his cell and dialed.  
McCloud wasn't on the phone with Joe long. He was out the door and on his way.  
  
Buffy and Riley were dancing and having a great time, when the commotion started. There were people screaming and running. It was total chaos. They got close enough to the door to see the demons trying to get in before the door was shut and blocked. Even with a night off, she had not been unprepared. She had learned the hard way, never be without a weapon. Riley was also armed. As a military member, they required he be armed at all times. They retreated to a corner to plot their strategy. They learned from the manager, that there were two entrances. The windows had bars and would be harder for the demons to break through. Buffy was headed around the back way, and Riley would stay near the front door.  
Buffy had barely reached the back door when they burst through. Three tall, dark, and ugly demons came through door with blood lust in their eyes. Buffy had never seen demons like this before. No matter, they were here. They were going to be destroyed.  
Riley was having his own problems in the front. Five demons busted through the door, seconds after the back door was breached. He was doing more evasive maneuvers than offensive. These guys were big, mean, and mad.   
Riley was beginning to tire and these guys were getting in some good hits when he noticed he was no longer alone. There was a man taking on three of the demons, and doing pretty well. With a little breathing room, Riley was able to catch his second wind and take care of the other two.  
After he finished with those two, he turned to look for the man who had helped him. He was just finishing with his last demon when Riley looked.  
Riley walked up to the unknown to say thank you. Before he reached him, however, he heard Buffy's voice say, "Angel?"  
Riley turned to see Buffy looking at the man who had helped him. He swung his head around to see Angel looking at Buffy.  
*This is not happening. I was not just helped by Buffy's ex-boyfriend. I did not bring Buffy all the way to LA, just for a reunion with her ex.* Mad and not knowing what to do, he ran to Buffy and took her into his arms.  
"Are you all right?" Riley asked.  
"I'm fine. How about you?" asked Buffy, pulling away from him.  
"I'm O.K. No damage."  
They both turned toward Angel and started to walk toward him. Riley still had his arm around Buffy. When they reached Angel, Buffy was the first to speak.  
"What are you doing here, Angel?"  
"I got a call from the manager. I cleaned out a pack of these demons from the basement a few days ago. I guess this pack wanted revenge. What brings you and your friend here?" Angel asked, with distinct sarcasm on the word friend.  
"Oh, sorry. Angel this is Riley. Riley this is Angel.  
We were just here for a night of nice, normal fun. I guess there is no such thing for me."  
"Right. Nice, normal fun. I seem to have a problem with that myself."  
Riley was unsure what to say. Angel had arrived in good time. He knew he wouldn't be able to hold those demons off much longer. He, at least, owed him a thank you.  
"Thank you for the help, Angel. You arrived right on time." Riley said, in a strained voice.  
"No problem. Just doing my job." Angel said. He was enjoying getting a thank you from Buffy's boyfriend.  
  
Duncan arrived after the fun was over. He found Joe a safe distance away and was talking to him in the car, when the three came out of the club.  
"Isn't that Angel with Buffy and Riley?" Joe asked.  
"Looks like it. I wonder what he's doing here."  
"Well, if you have demon problems, he's the man to call. Maybe the manager called him in."  
"Maybe. I wonder how this will affect his decision, about Buffy." Duncan wondered out loud.  
Duncan watched as Buffy and Riley walked in one direction, while Angel stood and watched them go, before turning and walking in the opposite direction, straight to his car.  
Duncan left Joe to his watching and returned to his own car, but instead of going back home, he went to see Angel.  
  
Angel hadn't been back long when Duncan walked in the door.  
"I hear you had an interesting night." Duncan said when he saw Angel.  
"You were there?"  
"I arrived to late to help with the fighting. I arrived just in time to see Buffy leave with Riley."  
"Yeah." was Angel's only reply.  
"So, what did you guys have to say to each other?"  
"What is there to say? They have each other. I saved Riley's ass, received a very strained thank you, said good-bye, and came home."  
"Have you given any more thought to our conversation today?"  
"I haven't been able to think of anything else. Seeing her tonight convinced me, that we can't be around each other. The feelings are still too strong." Duncan started to say something and Angel held up his hand. "No, there are no arguments that will make me change my mind, so save your breath. You can trust Giles. He'll be around her more than anybody, except for maybe Willow."  
Knowing it was useless to argue, Duncan turned to leave.  
"Thank you, Duncan, for caring about her."  
"She will be a powerful immortal one day, but right now she's just a woman. She needs somebody to watch out for her. She doesn't know what's coming." And with those words, he was gone.  
  
Buffy was as affected as Angel by their meeting. All it took was seeing him, and all the old feelings came flooding back. She was very quiet on the walk back to the hotel.  
Riley was deep in thought, also. He didn't miss the looks that passed between Buffy and Angel. He couldn't remember her ever looking at him that way. Maybe Buffy wasn't as over Angel as she claimed.  
When they reached the hotel, Buffy took a shower. Riley was already in bed when Buffy climbed under the covers. Riley rolled over to take her in his arms, but she mumbled something about being tired and rolled over to face the wall. Riley was sure this was not a good sign, but didn't push it.  
  
Duncan finished his story, to an open mouthed Giles, who promptly took off his glasses and started cleaning them. Giles had heard of immortals, but believed them to be a myth. He was having a hard time believing Mr. McCloud's story, much less the fact that Buffy was fated to be one of them.  
In the end, it was decided that Giles would inform Xander and Willow. Between the three of them, someone was bound to be there, if something happened to Buffy. Deep down, Giles was relieved that Buffy would not suffer the same fate as the other slayers. But, he was also disturbed that she would be around to watch all of the people she cared about age and die. That was, of course, if some head hunter didn't take her head. Duncan had told him, that without guidance, new immortals didn't last a century, before they were beheaded. He also assured Giles, that he would be Buffy's guidance. He would teach her what he knew. Giles was, somewhat, comforted by this. He didn't like to keep Buffy in the dark, but knew there were not any other options. If she knew about her fate, she could become reckless and careless. She needed to grow and mature some more before she was reborn.  
  
THREE MONTHS LATER  
  
"Buffy, you're being unreasonable."  
"No, I'm not." Buffy argued. "Just because I want some alone time, doesn't mean we're going to break up. I don't need you with me 24/7. I can go out and slay by myself."  
"No, I don't want you out there alone. What if something happened?"  
"Riley, I was slaying, alone, long before you came along."  
The argument was getting heated. Buffy was feeling smothered by Riley. He wanted to be with her all the time. She wanted some time to herself. She didn't think that was asking too much.  
"Riley, watch the road!" Buffy yelled as he crossed the yellow line.  
They were on their way back from one of his training exercises in the northern part of California. It was almost midnight and they weren't far from home. She just wanted to crawl into bed and finish this fight later. Lately, they were fighting alot. She got the feeling he wanted to control her, and she was having none of that. She was her own person.  
Suddenly, Buffy was blinded by headlights, just as she finished yelling at Riley for being a control freak. The car was on their side of the road!  
"Riley! LOOK OUT!!!!" Buffy screamed.  
Riley tried to swerve to avoid the car. That was the last thing Buffy remembered before her world went black.  
  
"Duncan McCloud"  
"Duncan, this is Rupert Giles. I'm afraid I have some bad news."  
"Is it Buffy?"  
"Yes, she and Riley were on their way home, when they were hit head on by a drunk driver. Riley and Buffy are both in comas. She hasn't died, but the doctors are not optimistic about her chances. Does this qualify as a violent death? She took a severe blow to the head and was stabbed in the stomach by a piece of metal."  
"Yes," said Duncan sadly. "That qualifies. I'll be there as soon as I can."  
  
As soon as Duncan hung up with Giles, he called Angel. He and Angel had gotten quite close over the last few months. He knew how much Buffy meant to him, and no matter what he said, Duncan knew he would want to be there.  
"Angel Investigations. We help the helpless." came Cordelia's voice on the other end of the line.  
"Cordelia, this is Duncan. Is Angel in? It's urgent."  
"Sure Duncan, I'll put you right through."  
  
"This is Angel."  
"Angel, this is Duncan. Buffy's been in an accident. Giles just called. The doctors aren't optimistic about her survival. I've got a van you can ride in if you want to go with me. I'm on my way to Sunnydale."  
"I'll be ready when you get here. Get here in a hurry!"  
  
Giles, Xander, Willow, Anya, and Joyce were in the waiting room, with several of Riley's unit when the doctor came in. He informed them that Riley passed away about 30 minutes ago. They tried to revive him, but his injuries were too severe. Buffy was hanging on by a thread. They didn't expect her to survive the night. The doctor suggested going to see her, one at a time, and talking to her. Maybe she would hear and be given another reason to fight, to survive. He wasn't sure it would work, but he knew it couldn't hurt. It was their last option. They had done everything else medically possible.  
When Joyce heard this, she broke down. Giles caught her as she collapsed. Willow and Xander and Anya were leaning on each other for support. Everyone, except Joyce, knew Buffy was supposed to be immortal, but they were still scared. What if Duncan was wrong? They would lose her forever.  
At the news of Riley's passing, the members of his unit left to mourn in private.  
Angel and Duncan arrived and saw everyone crying and feared the worst had already happened.  
Duncan hung back as Angel walked toward the group. Giles walked over to Angel and explained the situation. Angel was genuinely sorry that Riley had died, but not for him, for Buffy. Buffy was going to have alot to deal with when she woke up. Unlike the others, Angel didn't doubt Duncan. Duncan gave him a demonstration of his healing power one day when they were sparring. Angel accidentally cut his arm. It was a slight wound and Angel watched as little bolts of electricity cross over the wound and it healed before his eyes.  
Willow saw Angel and Duncan walk in and ran over to hug him. She was glad he was here. He was the strength. If anyone could pull Buffy through this, it was Angel. Xander and Anya walked up to Angel, just as he was pulling out of a hug with Willow. The two men shook hands and said their hellos. There was no hatred between them now, only an understanding. They both cared very much for Buffy. What was good for her was good for them.   
Joyce looked up to see where the others went. Her reaction to Angel, was exactly opposite from everyone else. She was hurting and angry that this had happened to Buffy and Angel was her way to release her anger.  
"What are you doing here?" Joyce demanded, angrily. "Haven't you caused her enough pain? Why don't you go back to where you came from? Why couldn't you just stay gone?"  
"Joyce, I know you're hurting, and I know you don't want me here. But, this isn't about you. I'm not leaving until I'm sure Buffy is all right."  
"NO!! I forbid you to go near my daughter. She's barely alive and her boyfriend was just killed. It will not help her for you to be here when she wakes up."  
"Joyce, please." Giles interrupted, before things got nasty. "As much as you would like to deny it, Buffy and Angel have a special connection. If anyone can get through to her, it will be Angel. He may be the only chance she has."  
Joyce didn't say anything else. She just looked tired and defeated as she turned around and walked back the chairs they had been sitting in.  
Duncan gave Giles a questioning look about what just happened with Joyce. Giles responded with a "I'll explain, later" look.  
Duncan walked over to join Giles and Angel.  
"How is she, Giles?" Duncan asked.  
"The doctors are not optimistic. She suffered severe trauma to her head. Her brain is still functioning, but barely. The wound in her stomach missed all the vital organs, but she lost a lot of blood. They are giving her transfusions as we speak."  
"When can I see her?" Angel wanted to know.  
"I'll go arrange it with the doctor." Giles replied, and left to go make the arrangements.  
After Giles left, Duncan spoke. "What are you going to say to her?"  
"I don't know. I just want her to know, I'm here."  
"Yes, you're here now, but for how long?"  
"Duncan, don't start. If she is reborn now, you will be here. You can teach her what she needs."  
"Yes, but she will need someone who understands what she is going through. Someone who is immortal."  
"You are immortal." was Angel's reply.  
"Yes, but she doesn't love me, doesn't trust me. She will tell you things, she would never tell me. Maybe in time, she will have that sort of trust in me, but not now. Remember, she hasn't seen me since I told her about my being an immortal."  
"I'm sorry, Duncan. Nothing has changed. The reasons we couldn't be together before still exist."  
Giles walked back up to Angel and Duncan to lead Angel back to Buffy's room.  
  
Angel pushed open the door and silently walked into Buffy's room. He simply stood for a minute and listened to the heart monitor's steady beep. Buffy's head was almost completely bandaged. She looked so small and helpless lying there.   
Angel walked over to the bed, pulled up a chair and sat down beside Buffy. He took her hand and gently brought it to his lips.  
For a long time, he simply held her hand and watched her. He wanted to speak, but everytime he opened his mouth, his emotions overwhelmed him, and he couldn't make a sound.  
Finally, he managed a small hello.  
"Hello, Buffy. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere until I'm sure you are O.K. But you have to do something for me. You have to fight. You have to get well. Everyone is scared of losing you. You are one of the strongest people I have ever met. If anyone can pull through this, it's you. I never stopped loving you, even when I left. I wanted you to have a normal life, but please know, I love you. I see you in my dreams. I sometimes see you walking down the street. Please, come back to me Buffy."  
Joyce stood at the door of her daughters room and listened as Angel professed his love to Buffy. She wondered, not for the first time, if she had made a mistake by asking Angel to leave Sunnydale over a year ago. At the time, it made sense. He was a vampire. What could he give her? Not children, not a normal life. But now, listening to the longing and love in his voice, she wondered if she should have interfered. After all, Buffy would never have a normal life. Being a slayer was not conducive to normal.  
Joyce turned and went back to the waiting room. She felt like she was intruding by listening to Angel with Buffy.  
  
Duncan and Giles were standing together, not really talking, when Joyce came back into the waiting room. For the first time since he arrived, Joyce spoke to Duncan.  
"Duncan, how are you? Not that it's not nice to see again, but what are you doing here?"  
"Angel is a friend of mine from LA. I gave him a ride here. He wasn't up to driving."  
"Oh, I see."  
"Joyce, I'm sorry his being here hurts you. Believe me, all he was thinking about, was Buffy."  
"I'm beginning realize that.  
Please excuse me. I think I need to sit down."  
"Of course. If you need anything, let me know."  
"Thank you." said Joyce, and then she returned to the chairs.  
  
Xander, Anya, and Willow walked up to Giles and Duncan. They had gone to the cafeteria for some nutrition.  
"Has there been any change?" Xander asked.  
Giles shook his head and said, "No, but Angel's with her now."  
"I hope he can get through to her." was Willow's reply. "What will happen if she dies?"  
Duncan knew the question was directed toward him.   
"Well," he began. "She will dead for a while, a few hours maybe, while her body heals. Then she will wake up. Most immortals wake up confused. They don't know what has happened. She will still breathe and her heart will still beat. Everything about her will appear completely normal. The only difference will be, she won't be able to die again, forever, unless she is beheaded. If she sustains a very serious injury, she may appear dead for a little while. The body does this to heal."  
"Are you sure she's to be an immortal? Are you sure you didn't make a mistake?" asked Willow, very concerned. Buffy was her best friend. She didn't want to get her hopes up, just for them to be demolished.  
"I'm sure Willow. I can sense others of my kind, and those who are destined to be. I'm positive about Buffy."  
"But, I mean, are you sure you're just not picking up on her slaying abilities. I mean, she heals very quickly now and has a lot of power. Have you ever been wrong?" Willow asked again.  
"No, Willow. I've never been wrong. After you've been around for a few centuries, you can tell the difference."  
Willow was not completely convinced, but she tried to believe Duncan knew what he was talking about. Then, Willow thought about something else.  
"What are we going to tell Joyce? The hospital will let her know if Buffy's heart stops."  
Giles had considered that question before, and he still didn't have a good answer. With everything she had already been through, he didn't know if she could handle that her daughter was immortal.  
"I don't know, Willow. We'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it. Joyce is on the verge of an emotional break down, now. I don't want to push her over the edge."  
  
Angel talked to Buffy until he ran out of things to say. After that, he just sat by her side and held her hand. He didn't want her to be reborn now. He wanted her to have a chance to live like a normal girl, for a while. He knew she sometimes wished she was a normal person. But, Buffy was not a normal girl. Even if she wasn't the slayer, she would be extraordinary. There was nothing normal about her.  
No one had bothered Angel, even though he had been with her for hours. Giles had talked to the doctor, and the doctor informed the nurses to let Angel stay for as long as he wanted.  
Angel had started to drift off the sleep, when he awakened suddenly. It took him a moment to figure out what was wrong. The heart monitor was still beeping steadily, but Angel could hear her heart. It was getting weaker! The beat was not as strong as before. Knowing the doctors were as powerless as he was to do anything for her, he just sat and held her hand, and cried, as the beats got weaker and weaker.  
  
Giles, Duncan, Joyce, Xander, Anya, and Willow were sitting in the waiting room, not talking when an alarm sounded. A nurse shouted, "Code Blue, Room 371."  
"Oh my God! That's Buffy room!" Joyce screamed and started toward her daughters room. Giles restrained her, and she stopped fighting and just cried.  
  
Angel knew, before the monitor did, when her heart would stop. When the alarm sounded, he didn't move. When the nurses and doctors barged in, Angel moved back, to let them work, knowing there was nothing they could do.  
They worked on her for 30 minutes before they declared her gone.  
  
Angel walked out to everyone still waiting for news. They took one look at his face, and knew she was gone. Joyce fainted, and hit the floor hard. A doctor and nurse came to check her out and then moved her to a room. Joyce awakened, hysterical. The doctor sedated her, and she went into a deep sleep.  
Everyone else was trying to figure out how to get Buffy out of the hospital before she was reborn. They decided a simple "Body Disappears From Morgue" type deal was their best bet. Joyce had already requested that no autopsy be performed. She felt Buffy's body had been battered enough.  
Angel and Duncan watched as the gurney carrying Buffy's body was rolled by. They gave the orderlies enough time to leave the morgue before they entered.  
It was the hardest thing Angel had ever done. He tried to block all thoughts as he and Duncan, loaded Buffy's body into Duncan's van. They decided to take her home, to Joyce's house. Joyce was still in the hospital, sedated. It would help for Buffy to wake up around familiar things.  
  
Angel stayed by her side the rest of the night. He was beginning to worry when his ears picked up a faint sound. He leaned over and put his ear to her chest. Yes!! He could hear her heart beginning to beat! At that moment, his head rose, when her chest expanded for a lung full of air.   
Angel jumped up, ran to the doorway, and yelled for Duncan.  
Duncan came running up the stairs. She had come out of it very quickly, faster than most immortals.  
  
Buffy started to come around. The last thing she remembered was the car heading for them. She opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was Angel's face. She looked around quickly. She was in her room, at her mother's house. She was instantly confused, and that weird tingling sensation was happening again, only now it was much stronger. She looked past Angel to see Duncan standing in the doorway.  
She had a very bad headache. She put her hand to her head and felt the bandage covering her head.  
"Angel. What happened? Why are you here?"  
"Just relax, Buffy. Duncan and I will explain everything to you. Right now, just relax."  
"I don't want to relax. I want to know what happened!" Buffy replied, as she tried to sit up. Instantly, she was struck by the pain in her stomach. She lay back down, to try to ease the pain.  
Duncan walked over to the bed. "How are you feeling?"  
"Like I've been hit by a truck. OH MY GOD! That car, was in our lane, when we were coming home. Where's Riley? Did they hit us?"  
"Buffy," Angel began, not wanting to, because he knew this would be very painful for her. "We have a lot of things to tell you. You're not going to understand some of it."  
Buffy was beginning to regain some of her strength, and she was getting angry. Nobody was telling her what was going on!  
"Just tell me."  
"O.K., first. Yes, that car did hit you. The driver was drunk. He walked away without a scratch."  
When Angel didn't continue, Buffy asked another question. "How did I get here? And why don't I remember anything after seeing the car lights headed for us."  
"Duncan and I brought you here in his van. You've not been conscious since the accident."  
"Where's Riley? Why isn't he here? Was he hurt?"  
"Buffy, Riley was hurt very bad." God, Angel would rather greet the sunrise than to tell her this. "He died at the hospital, last night."  
Buffy didn't speak, she couldn't. She started to cry.   
"I'm sorry, Buffy. I didn't want to be the one to have to tell you."  
"I can't believe this. I need to see him. I won't believe it, until I see him. Take me to the hospital, now." Buffy was talking through tears.  
"Buffy, that's not all. There are more things we need to tell you. Things that can't wait."  
"You just told me, my boyfriend is dead! What more could you possibly throw at me?" Duncan and Angel just sat with her, while she cried. They waited until she calmed down before continuing.  
"Maybe I'd better let Duncan explain this part to you."  
"Buffy, what I'm about to tell you may sound unbelievable, but it's the truth. You were injured very badly in the accident. You took a severe blow to the head, and a piece of metal stabbed you in the stomach. The paramedics took you and Riley, both, to the hospital. You were in a coma. Giles called me and I picked up Angel and we rushed to the hospital."  
"Why did Giles call you?"  
"The doctors weren't expecting you to survive. They didn't expect you live through the night."  
"Then, how am I here? I feel fine, except I'm a little sore. How long was I out?"  
"About 36 hours."  
"I know I heal fast, but that is too fast, even for me."  
"This is part of the story, that you may have trouble believing. Buffy, you officially died, last night. But, I knew you would wake up. Angel and I brought you here, so no one else would be around when you were reborn."  
"Reborn? What are you talking about?"  
"Buffy, have you ever had a weird tingling sensation run throughout your body. Not painful, but enough to make you look around and be nervous?"  
"Yes, it happened for the first time right around the time I met you. It's happening now, only it's much more intense. How did you know?" Buffy was trying to remain calm, but this was too weird. She had died again?  
"That tingling, is a reaction to my presence. I react the same way when you are near me."  
"Why?"  
"The tingling sensation you feel is an immortal alarm system. It alerts an immortal to the presence of another immortal."  
"So, why do I feel it? Is it because I'm the slayer?"  
"No. It's because you are also an immortal. I felt it the first time I saw you."  
"No," Buffy knew they were crazy now. "I've died before. You said the immortal thing kicks in after the first death. So, you can't be right. If it were true, I would have become immortal then."  
"No. I was informed of your first death. You were brought back, by CPR, before you had been dead long enough to be reborn."  
Duncan stopped talking to give her time to digest everything that had been thrown at her. She wasn't quiet long.  
She looked at Angel. "How long have you known?" she asked.  
"Duncan came to see me and filled me in a few days after he found out."  
"You've known for three months and you didn't tell me!" Buffy yelled. "How could you keep this from me? There you go again, deciding what's best for me, without asking my opinion!"  
"Buffy," Duncan interrupted. "It's not his fault. Before we even started our conversation, I made him swear, that what was said, would not leave the room. He is a man of his word."  
"Who else knows?"  
"Giles, Xander, Willow, and probably Anya. Your mother is completely in the dark." Angel responded to the question.  
"And before you get angry again, they were all sworn to secrecy before they were told." Duncan added, quickly.  
"But why couldn't I know? It's my life you're talking about."  
"Immortals aren't supposed to know their fate. Most people can't handle it. They do stupid things, die before they should. They react better after the fact." Duncan said.  
"But, I'm the slayer. Weird and unbelievable are my life."  
"Don't you see. With you, it would have been worse. It could have made you reckless, careless. You needed to grow and mature before you were reborn. Don't you see? You are going to look 19 forever. That can make things difficult in the future. I was hoping it wouldn't happen until you aged a little bit. I told your friends because I knew you would need someone when you awoke. I didn't know that I would have time to get here."  
Buffy was still angry about not being told, but not as angry as before. She could see Duncan's point.  
Then something he said earlier hit her. "You said I died at the hospital. What about my mother? You said she didn't know."  
"No, she doesn't know. After the accident, your mother was an emotional wreck. When the doctor informed us that you had died, your mother collapsed and had to be sedated. We were afraid we would send her over the edge, if we told her then. When she comes home from the hospital, we can sit her down and tell her." Angel explained.  
"I think I need to be alone for a while. This is alot to take."  
"O.K. Come on, Duncan, let's go downstairs." Angel looked at Buffy. "If you need us, just yell."  
  
After they left, Buffy just lay there in her bed. A million thoughts were running through her head. Her life had not been normal since she was 15 years old, but this was too much. She was going to live until some head hunting immortal decapitated her. How long would that be? One year? Or 500 years? After she thought about it, she realized this fate wasn't much different from being the slayer. She was just adding an enemy. She had never felt the tingle until Duncan McCloud showed up. She assumed that meant she had never been around another immortal.  
Riley. She couldn't believe he was gone. Their last words to each other, had been angry words. She would never be able to tell him, she was sorry for the hurtful things she had said. She began to cry, again. She had cared, alot, about Riley. Her feelings had not reached love, she was sure of that, but he was important to her just the same.  
Slowly, she tried to sit up. She was surprised that she felt no pain. She stood up and pulled the bandage off her stomach. The wound looked like a deep scratch. *Wow! I really do heal fast* She walked over to her mirror and unbandaged her head. There was no sign of an injury, and the headache she had when she woke up was gone.  
Realizing she was still in a hospital gown, Buffy walked over to her closet and got some clothes. After she was dressed, she sat back down on the bed.  
What was she supposed to do now? She was dead. She couldn't go back to school. Since this was her second death, she wondered if a new slayer would be called. All of a sudden, Buffy was very tired. She wasn't physically tired, but mentally. She had been on an emotional rollercoaster, and her mind was demanding down time.  
She lay down on her bed and fell asleep wondering where she was going to go from here.  
  
Angel silently opened the door to check on Buffy. She was fast asleep. He didn't disturb her, just took a minute to watch her. She wasn't going to have an easy time for a while. He knew, from experience, it took a while to adjust to being immortal. Legally, you're dead. Life as you knew it, was gone. There were exceptions, people who had died and been reborn, without anyone knowing. But, this was not the case with Buffy. Her picture was in the paper, along with pictures of the accident. Almost everyone in town had seen the paper and the announcement of the deaths of Buffy Summers and Riley Finn. She couldn't go back to school. She really couldn't be seen in town, at least not for awhile. Angel decided to talk to Duncan about it. For Angel, it had been simple. He lived apart from society, so it didn't matter. Duncan lived in society, paid taxes, and did all the normal things humans do. He would know what to do.  
Angel reluctantly turned from watching Buffy and walked downstairs to talk to Duncan.  
  
Buffy awakened when Angel came back in the room carrying a tray of food.  
"Did you sleep well?" Angel asked.  
"I slept like a rock." Buffy replied, groggily. She saw the plate of food and sat up in bed.   
"I thought you might be hungry after your nap."  
"I'm starved. Thanks."  
"Giles just called from the hospital. He and the gang will be here with your mom in about an hour. How do you want to handle this? Do you want Duncan to talk to her first? Or maybe Giles?"   
"What about you?"  
"I will if you want me to, but I don't think that would be a good idea. Your mom isn't exactly my biggest fan. I don't think she would take it well from me. But, she respects Giles and Duncan. One of them could do a much better job."  
"I want everyone there with her. Just tell her there are some things she needs to know. Tell her not to freak out, that you will explain everything, but first she needs to see something. Then, come and get me. I don't want to arrive too soon. I'll stay up here until you guys are ready. Angel, I really don't want to do this to her. She has been through so much since she learned I am the slayer. How is she going to react to this?  
"Buffy, I know this isn't easy. If you really don't want to tell her, I have an option for you. Duncan and I discussed alot of things while you were asleep. If you want to leave before your mother gets here, Duncan and I will go with you. You can stay with Duncan in LA for a while. Duncan said some immortals chose to let their families think they're dead, to save them the heartache. Others come clean about everything to their families and have contact with them until they die. The decision is totally yours.  
Buffy didn't know what to do. As much as she wanted to save her mother the heartache, she couldn't imagine never seeing her again. No, she couldn't let her mother think she was dead. She didn't think that was fair to her mother. She had a right to know her daughter was still alive. Everything else, they could deal with.  
  
Giles and the gang arrived with Joyce. She was still on a mild sedative. She was alert, but the medication was keeping her calm.  
Everyone gathers around her, trying to be supportive. Giles was elected to talk to Joyce. Everyone else is there for moral support.  
"Joyce, we need to talk to you about something."  
"I know, Rupert. The doctors told me. Buffy's body disappeared from the morgue. It was probably those awful vampires. They wanted to make sure she was dead." Joyce managed, before she burst into tears again.  
"Joyce, that's not it. We have something to show you, but we don't want to overwhelm you."  
"Rupert, my only daughter is dead. How much worse can you throw at me?"  
"Joyce, what we have to show you, will be a big shock. We just want you to try to stay calm, and we'll explain everything to you."  
"What is it?" Joyce asked, starting to get very concerned. She couldn't imagine what he was talking about.  
"Wait here." Giles replied and he and Angel went upstairs to get Buffy.  
Joyce was seated with her back to the stairs when Buffy came downstairs.  
Giles speaks when they reach the bottom of the stairs.  
Joyce turns around, sees Buffy, and faints. Luckily, she was still sitting and just leans over on the sofa.  
  
When Joyce came to, the explanations began. She was not taking it well. She was angry with everyone for keeping it from her. She yelled and screamed at everyone, but Buffy. Buffy had been kept in the dark, too. Joyce couldn't understand why Buffy wasn't as angry as she was.  
After a while, Joyce calmed down enough to see reason.  
Now that everyone knew, some decisions were going to have to be made. Buffy couldn't go back to school, here. She really couldn't be seen in town, for a while. Her and Riley's face were in all the newspapers.  
Duncan had been around for a long time. He knew a few tricks. Buffy wanted to keep her name, so Duncan informed her, that a friend of his, could hack into the county records and delete her death certificate. She would legally still be alive, and keep her own name.  
Duncan invited Buffy to come and stay with him in LA. She could start her training as an immortal. She had to be better than good with a sword if she expected to survive. Buffy was unsure about leaving. What about the hellmouth? Could she, in good conscience, leave it unguarded? Giles solved that problem. He had been in touch with the watchers council. When Buffy's heart stopped, a new slayer was called. She would be here, with her new watcher, in only a few days.  
Angel stood back and listened to the conversation without adding anything. He longed to tell her to come and stay with him. He could watch over her and make sure no immortal came near her, but he didn't, he couldn't. He trusted Duncan, and knew he could teach her alot more than Angel could. She wouldn't be that far away, and Duncan would keep him informed of her progress. He wouldn't have to see her, it hurt too much, but she would be in good hands.  
  
Later that evening, Buffy was sitting on her front porch. She had gone out alone to think. She and Angel had not had a moment alone since she woke up.  
Angel gave her an hour, by herself, and walked out onto the porch. He seated himself beside her. She took his hand, but did not speak. They sat there in comfortable silence. Angel's presence was a comfort to Buffy. No matter how long they went without seeing each other, there was never the uncomfortable meeting again. They had such connection with each other, it was like they had never been apart. Buffy needed him then. She was still trying to adjust to everything that had happened. Still, she knew Angel couldn't stay forever. He had his own life in LA.  
"How long are you going to be here?" Buffy asked, breaking the silence.  
"As long as you need me." was the simple reply.  
"How about forever?"  
"Buffy..."  
"I know. Nothing has changed, but the fact I will live forever. We still can't be together. I just don't know what I'm going to do. Nothing will ever be the same."  
"No, it won't. I won't lie to you. Things are going to be hard for a while. But, Duncan will be there. He knows what you're going through. He promised to help you."  
"I like Duncan, but he's not you. I don't know if I can tell him all the things I can tell you."  
"You're not going to be too far away. If you need me, I'm just a phone call away."  
"So, you're not going to come around unless I need you?"  
"I can't Buffy. You know I love you. It would be torture, for both of us."  
  
Duncan had opened the door and was about to come out on the porch, when he heard them talking. He stood still and listened to the conversation. In all his years, he had never came across a love like they had. Duncan had loved Tessa, and after she died, he was devastated, but the connection between Angel and Buffy was so intense. He wished there was something he could do. He knew of the Romani clan that had cursed Angel. He had run across them before. They lived for vengeance. He could easily believe they could do something that cruel. At the thought of the Romani, I small smile came to Duncan's face. Maybe, just maybe, there was something he could do to help.  
  
Joyce helped Buffy load the last of her things into Duncan's van. Everyone gathered in Joyce's house to say good-bye to Buffy. There were many tears. As much as Willow was going to miss Buffy, she had decided to stay at UC Sunnydale for the rest of this year. Xander's job in construction was going well and he had Anya to think about. He couldn't leave right now. Joyce had decided to stay and continue running the gallery. Giles said he couldn't leave now. The new slayer and her watcher would need guidance when they got here. Neither of them had ever had to deal with living on a hellmouth. They all knew Buffy needed time to adjust and they reasoned that she wasn't going to be that far away. LA wasn't that far. They could, and would, visit. Buffy promised to stay in touch by phone.  
So, after many tears and good-byes, Buffy, Angel, and Duncan drove away, toward Buffy's new life in LA.  
  
SIX MONTHS LATER  
  
Duncan called for a break, after Buffy had flipped him on his back for the fifteenth time. She had retained her slayer abilities when she was reborn. Duncan was still trying to adjust to fighting someone that strong and fast. She had progressed very quickly in swordsmanship. She was a match for him now. She continued to amaze him. She fought very well, and with alot of passion. In the fighting, she was secure. Duncan couldn't see how any head hunter would be a match for her. In her life, however, she was faltering.   
When they first arrived in LA, Buffy tried to pretend she was fine. She trained constantly. Duncan was pleased, at first. It didn't take long to figure out, though, that all the training, was just a way not to deal with everything. She wouldn't talk to him, she wouldn't go out. She wasn't living. She was just training, all the time.  
Duncan, finally, confronted her about her actions. At first, she tried to deny it, but Duncan could see right through her. He convinced her that she needed to grieve for her lost life. Everything was different, and not by her choice. She needed to take time to deal with the resentment and the loss. Duncan told her about his life right after he was reborn. He, too, lost a life he had been content with.  
Buffy realized Duncan was right. She started training only a few hours a day. The rest of the time, she used to deal with her situation. Duncan's friend had erased her death. She signed up for classes at the college in LA. She got to know the city, again. So much had changed since she had been gone. Other times, she preferred to be alone. She finally took the time to grieve for Riley. She still had trouble believing he was gone. She wondered if this was all she had to look forward to. Those she cared about dying, while she stayed the same.  
When she mentioned these feelings to Duncan, he wasn't surprised. He had gone through a couple of centuries of not letting anybody get close, because he knew what would happen. He told Buffy this, and how he realized, it wasn't really living. He was just there. There was no purpose without someone. He told her about Tessa, about his love for her, and how much he hurt when she died. He also told her he would do it all again, without hesitation. No matter how much it hurt when they died, the joy they brought while alive, made up for it. The memories would last forever, and get you through some very tough times.  
  
Now, Buffy had learned to deal. She was happy. She was enjoying college and had made a few friends. None of them were as close as Willow and Xander, but they helped with the loneliness. Sometimes, she went out to patrol. She had found a few vampires and demons in LA. Angel took care of most them, with his business. She figured she could trim around the edges. Everyone in Sunnydale was doing well. They called often, and kept her informed. The new slayer, Dakota, was doing great. Her watcher, on the other hand, reminded Giles alot of Wesley. Giles was having a hard time dealing with him, but he was getting better.  
Buffy hadn't seen Angel since the night they arrived in LA. He had called and talked to Duncan, at least once a week. Buffy had talked to him a couple of times. This was the one thing Buffy had trouble dealing with.   
  
Duncan was in the kitchen preparing dinner, when the doorbell sounded. Buffy went to answer it and found Angel at the door.  
"Hi." was all he said.  
"Hi. What are you doing here?"  
"Duncan asked me to come over tonight. He said he needed to talk to me, but he didn't tell me what about. Do you know?"  
"No. He hasn't told me anything. Come in. Duncan's in the kitchen. We were getting ready to eat."  
At that moment, Duncan walked up behind Buffy.  
The three of them walked into the living room. Angel was getting ready to ask what the purpose of this visit was, when Buffy felt the tingle. Duncan felt it at the same time, but didn't seem concerned.  
"Duncan." Buffy began, looking concerned. "Do you feel that? There's another immortal around, close."  
"Yes, I feel it. Don't worry, I knew he was coming."  
When the doorbell sounded, Duncan went to answer it. Duncan opened the door and saw his old friend, Delion. The two men embraced and were obviously happy to see each other.  
Duncan made the introductions and suggested they go to the dining room for dinner. Angel was confused, but didn't want to be rude, so he went without question, to the dining room.  
Duncan and Delion talked non stop throughout the meal. They hadn't seen each other in over a hundred years. They had a lot of catching up to do. They also remembered old times, all the things they had gone through together. Buffy and Angel politely listened to all the memories and joined the conversation at times, but both were wondering what brought Delion to LA, and Duncan's house.  
After dinner, Duncan invited everyone into the den. The den was Duncan's private place. Buffy had only been in there only twice since she arrived.  
There was a fire in the fireplace and the room was cozy and comfortable. Duncan asked them to be seated. Buffy and Angel sat facing Duncan and Delion.  
"I know you're wondering what this is all about." Duncan began. "I can explain everything. Delion and I go back over a hundred years. I found him just as he was being reborn, quiet by accident. I was traveling along a lonely road, and came upon him. He was convinced, when he awoke, that I had brought him back, somehow, with magic. I explained everything to him, but he still didn't believe me. He wanted to hear it from his people. You see, Delion is a member of the Romani clan."  
At the mention of the Romani, Angel grew very uncomfortable. He didn't know what Duncan was getting at, and he didn't think he wanted to know.  
Buffy, too, was nervous. What was the point of this? Did Delion come here to exact more revenge on Angel? Over her dead, and decapitated body, Buffy thought.  
"Please, don't be nervous. I'm here to help, not hurt. Duncan has explained the situation to me." Delion said. He looked straight at Angel and continued. "I'm sorry for all you have been through. My people live for vengeance, and they sometimes don't do the right thing. Cursing the vampire Angelus for his crimes, was wrong. They cursed the soul, not the demon. The happiness clause in the curse was another mistake." Delion finished, looking more than a little embarrassed at the actions of his clan.  
"Why are you here?" Angel asked.  
"I am here to try to atone for the mistakes of my clan. I believe I have a way to bind your soul to your body, permanently."  
Neither Buffy nor Angel could speak. They were in shock. So, Delion continued.  
"Before I was reborn, I was a Romani wizard. I knew all the power, all the spells, and all the curses, and how to perform them. I even invented some of them."  
"Why would you help me? It would be going against your clan."  
"I told you. I believe my clan was wrong. I, personally, knew the woman that cursed you. She was self righteous and self centered. She believed cursing you would increase her prestige with the clan. The family of the girl you killed, were leaders of the clan.  
When Duncan came to me with his story, I already knew who you were. Your story had been passed through the generations of the clan."  
"Yes. We were aware of that." Buffy said, remembering Ms. Calendar.  
Buffy turned to Duncan. "Why did you go to Delion?" she asked.  
"I have watched you for the last six months. You've done remarkable well adjusting to your new life. The only thing that worried me, was the situation with Angel. I can see how much he means to you, and how much you mean to him. I care for you both, very much, and it hurt me to see you two apart. When I lost Tessa, there was nothing I could do about it. I had to learn to live without her. And then, I see you two, apart, not able to be together, and I thought, I could do something about this. I had to try."  
Angel didn't know what to say. He still felt Buffy deserved better, but he didn't know if he could pass up the opportunity to be with her.  
Buffy was trying not to get her hopes up. She wanted to be with Angel, more than anything, but what if Delion couldn't pull it off. She would be disappointed again.  
Duncan and Delion watched the different emotions cross their features. They knew, without words, what was going on in their minds.  
"I understand you are skeptical. Just hear me out, before you make a decision."  
Delion went on the explain that the process was not difficult. There were a few items he needed, but they could be purchased through the right sources. Unfortunately, the old curse would have to be completely removed before the new soul spell could be performed.  
"NO! I'm sorry. I can't do it." Angel said, when he heard that. "I can't let that monster out again." He rushed from the room.  
Buffy started to go after him, but Duncan stopped her and went after Angel himself.  
  
Buffy was left alone with Delion. She studied him a for a moment before speaking.  
"Are you sure you can do this? I don't want to lose Angel, as I know him. I would rather us not be together, than for Angelus to come back again."  
"Yes, I am sure. I know the ways of my people. It is simple thing, if you know the ways. Most of the old ways have been lost, but I remember them. I was there at their peak."  
"I'm still confused about why you are doing this. I know you believe they did wrong, but why are willing to betray your clan? I thought the gypsy clans stuck together?"  
"After I was reborn, I took Duncan back to my clan. I wanted to know what they knew about immortals. I thought Duncan was lying to me. I thought my clan would support me, and find out what really happened. As you know, no one knows why some are immortal. I wasn't satisfied with that. I wanted answers.  
When we got to my clan, I was not welcomed with open arms. No one in the clan had ever heard of immortals. They didn't believe Duncan's story any more than I had. They came to the conclusion that I, too, had been possessed by a demon. I couldn't convince them otherwise. The same heartless woman that cursed Angel, tried to kill me, with magic. Because I was a member of the clan, they didn't want to curse me as they would later do to Angel. They wanted me to die, to be at peace. They employed this woman to do the job. The rest of the clan was doing this out of love and loyalty to the clan. This woman was just power hungry. She had no thoughts of compassion. Duncan and I escaped, but barely. We pretended we were dead, that her spell had worked, and we were prepared for burial. We managed to escape from the coffins and filled them with rocks and re-sealed them, so no one would know. It worked.  
So, I guess you could say, I have a personal interest in correcting the woman's evil doing."  
Buffy wasn't still 100 percent convinced, but she believed Delion's story. She believed they should do it. Convincing Angel was going to be a completely different story.  
  
Duncan found Angel out in the garden, just looking up at the stars.  
Angel glanced at Duncan when he walked up, but didn't speak. He continued to look at the stars.  
"Angel." Duncan began.   
"No, Duncan. I'm sorry. I can't do this. I can't take the risk of something going wrong. The last time Angelus was free, he was after Buffy. I can't put her, or you, in that kind of danger. I know you're both immortal, and Angelus will know it also. He will also know how to kill you. He has all my memories. Everything I know, he knows."  
"What about Buffy? I know you love her. I know it tears you apart inside, not being able to be with her. Isn't it worth the chance to be together?"  
"Not if it brings Angelus back. I refuse to put here through that again."  
"Angelus will only be present for a few minutes before the new spell is cast. We'll have you restrained. Angelus won't be able to do anything."  
"What if something goes wrong? What if the new spell doesn't work?"  
"Delion wouldn't offer to do this, if he wasn't absolutely sure it would work."  
"Which brings up another question. Why is he offering to do this?"  
So, while Delion was telling his story to Buffy, Duncan was telling the same story to Angel.   
  
Angel was still sitting in the garden, looking at the stars when Buffy found him. She sat down beside him on the bench. She wasn't sure what to say to him. She knew the concerns he had, and could understand. She knew what would happen if something went wrong. Buffy also knew what she would have to do. She was willing to take the risk. It was worth it, to her, for a chance to be with Angel.  
Angel looked over at the woman beside him. She was his whole world. It was so hard to be apart from her. He had been sitting here, considering what Delion was willing to do. He wanted Buffy's opinion before he decided. This would effect her. He didn't want to make anymore decisions about her life, without her having a say so.  
"Do you think I should do this?" Angel asked.  
"I believe it's worth a shot."  
"If I do this, and it works. What then?"  
"Then, we can finally be together. That is, if you still want me."  
"How can you think I don't want you? I wouldn't even consider doing this if I didn't love you so much."  
"Angel, I love you. I want us to be together. But, I don't want you to do this for me. I want you to do this for you. Even though I am an immortal, there are no guarantees, for you either. Either one of us could die at anytime. If something were to happen to me, I want you to be able to be happy. You could meet someone else."  
"There will never be anyone else who could touch me, like you do. You are my soulmate."  
"Still, I want you to do this for you, for your life."  
"I understand."  
Buffy got up and started to walk back inside.   
Angel watched her go and wondered again, if he deserved her after all that he had done.  
  
Angel walked back into the house to find Duncan, Delion, and Buffy in the den. They were going over the ritual, the steps and what they would need. They were so into it, they didn't hear him come in.  
"O.K., I'll do it. On one condition."  
"What is the condition?" Duncan asked.  
"If something goes wrong, you have to kill me. Whatever happens, don't let Angelus free. Don't put it off while you try to think of another way. Angelus is like a slippery eel. If given any time at all, he will break free. I must have your word."  
Before Duncan could speak, Buffy spoke. "If anyone stakes Angelus, it will be me. If something goes wrong, I'll take care of it."  
"Buffy, are you sure? You couldn't do it last time."  
"Yes, I'm sure. If it comes down to it, I'm the only one who's going to do it. I've come to terms with the fact that the demon is not you. I was having trouble with that, the first time. But nothing will go wrong."  
  
Delion left with a promise to return in a week, with all the necessary items. They would meet back at Duncan's in exactly one week.  
  
After Delion left, Buffy and Angel started planning the restraints that would hold Angelus. They had decided to perform the spell in the basement. Buffy and Angel went downstairs to check the layout.  
They found a good spot to anchor the chains. Hands and feet would be shackled. Angel would personally anchor the shackles. He wanted to be sure Angelus could not get free.  
Buffy picked a spot, close to where Angel would be shackled, to perform the ritual.  
After they had decided on everything, Angel walked over to Buffy.  
"Thank you," he said. "For believing in me. For believing in us." He then pulled her into her arms.  
Holding her was all he planned to do. His emotions were running high right now, and he needed her close to him. He held her for a few moments and then looked down at her.  
Slowly he lowered his head, until their lips met. At first, the kiss was soft. Gradually, the kiss deepened until neither one was thinking anymore. They had been denied each other for so long. They were lost in each other, until a coughing sound broke through to their ears. They turned to see Duncan standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking pretty embarrassed to have walked in on them.  
"Sorry to interrupt. I was just wondering how things were going."  
"Things are going good." said Buffy, smiling. "We've figured out how everything is going to be set up."  
"And I'll get started tomorrow on the restraints." Angel added.  
"Great." said Duncan. "Why don't you come upstairs and we'll work out the rest of the details."  
So, the three of them headed upstairs.  
  
Buffy had gone to bed, leaving Duncan and Angel still going over a few details.  
"Angel, what was going on in the basement?"  
"We were planning." Angel replied, knowing that was not what he meant.  
"That's not what it looked like to me. I'm not judging, I just don't want any surprises before next week."  
"I know. I know. I've already told you what happens when we get near each other. It's one reason I left Sunnydale."  
"Just try to be patient. You two have waited this long. It's been what, over two years? You've survived this long. What's another week?"  
Then Duncan saw a shadow pass Angel's face, and knew there was something Angel wasn't telling him.  
"What is it Angel? What are you not telling me?"  
"It's nothing to do with this. It is a memory, I memory that only I have."  
Duncan was confused. "What is it? Angel you are my friend. Let me help you. Obviously, whatever this is, upsets you."  
Angel had never told anyone about the lost day. The weight of being the only one who knew, weighed heavily on him. So, he decided to share his burden with Duncan.  
"Right before Thanksgiving, last year, Doyle had a vision. He said Buffy was in danger. I went back to Sunnydale to watch over her. She didn't know I was there, but her friends found out. After I left, one of them let it slip. Buffy was MAD. She came to LA to see me. We yelled at each other a little bit, and turns out, even though she didn't know I was there, she could sense me. We agreed to the original plan, stay away from each other until a lot of time passed.  
She was just about to leave, when a Mohra demon burst in. We fought it, but it got away, into the sewers. We followed it down, but lost it. She thought it had gone above ground, into the sun. She went after it, but it was still in the sewers. I had a fight with it, and got cut. I thought I had killed it, but some of it's blood got into my cut. The Mohra demon's blood has regenerative properties. It healed me. I was human." Angel paused and looked at Duncan, waiting for his reaction.  
When Duncan didn't say anything, Angel continued.  
"I wanted to make sure this wasn't some trick, so I went to see the Oracles. They have contact with The Powers that Be. The Oracles told me it was permanent. I was, forever more, a human.  
I found Buffy on the beach and walked out to greet her, in the sun. We had a wonderful day. I explained what had happened.  
Back at my place, we were sitting in the kitchen and agreed to take things slow, you know, let me adjust to being human. Then, we accidentally touched, and slow flew out the window.  
Later, we were asleep, when Doyle called. I didn't kill the Mohra demon, it regenerated itself. I left Buffy asleep to go fight it. I didn't realize that being human meant being so weak. The demon was kicking my ass. Then, Buffy showed up. I told her how to kill the beast and she did. Before the demon died, it told me the end of days was coming. I went back to see the Oracles, and they told me it was true.  
They said everyone, especially the slayers, were in danger. They told me I couldn't protect her as a human, that she would die. I couldn't let that happen. I told them to take it back, make me like I was. They told me the only way to do that, was to take back the day, make it like it never happened. No one, but me, would remember. I couldn't let her die. I told them to do it.  
I went back and told Buffy and we held each other and cried. She told me she would never forget, but then the day was gone, and, of course, she did forget.  
It's just one more example of us not being able to control ourselves around each other.  
Sometimes, not being with her, is a real physical pain inside me."  
Duncan, not knowing what to say, didn't say anything. He was convinced, now more than ever, that they belonged to each other. It would explain some of Buffy's nightmares, though. She would wake up screaming for Angel, and talking about ice cream and chocolate and peanut butter. Angel hadn't mentioned that in his story, but some of the other, had been familiar.  
"Angel, I hate to tell you this, but I think Buffy dreams about that day, but she doesn't remember them in the light of day. Or if she does, she won't tell me about them, but I've heard talking in her sleep and dreaming about some of the things you just mentioned."  
Angel looked quickly at Duncan, and with pain written in features and anger in his voice, asked, "And how would you know what Buffy dreams about?"  
Duncan didn't miss the implication in his voice, and so, he quickly explained. "Her room is right next to mine, and sometimes she cries out in her sleep. The first few times it happened, I rushed to her room, and found her in the middle of her dreams. I would wake her up, and she would swear she couldn't remember them. After the first few times, I just listened to her words. I needed to know what she was dreaming about that caused her so much pain. Giles told me of her prophetic dreams, and I thought maybe this was one of them, but it became obvious, she was dreaming of you. I then thought, it was her dreaming about what she wanted most. But now, I know she was dreaming of your lost day."  
"That's not possible. The Oracles told me she would never remember. The day didn't happen."  
"I'm sorry, Angel. All I know, is what she says. If she doesn't remember them in the day, then I guess, she really did forget. Maybe its just her subconscious coming out in her dreams."  
"I guess so, but I still don't like it. I don't want her know about what happened. I don't want her know..."  
"You don't want her know that you gave up humanity for her." Duncan finished.  
"That's right. Please, don't say anything to her."  
"I give you my word, but what happens if she someday remembers?"  
"I'll deal with that, if it ever happens."  
  
The next week passed quickly. Angel got the shackles set up, and Buffy had the altar to perform the ritual set up. They tested the restraints, several times.  
Neither one of them forgot about the kiss in the basement. They made sure they were never alone together. They didn't want anything to get in the way of the ritual.  
  
Exactly one week later, Delion returned. He had gathered everything he needed for the ritual.  
  
The four of them made their way to the basement. No one really spoke, they were all lost in their own thoughts.  
Everything was ready for the ritual. Buffy shackled Angel, who tested them, again, to make sure Angelus couldn't escape.  
Buffy and Duncan stood back and watched. Delion told them, there was nothing else they could do.  
  
Delion was dressed in the robes of the Romani wizards.  
He walked to face Angel, and took out something that looked alot like the orb of Thesalua. He began to chant in an ancient language, unknown to Buffy or Duncan. The orb began to glow, then Angel cried out and his eyes glowed yellow. Then, it was done.  
They stood facing Angelus, who tested the restraints, and when he found he couldn't get loose, let his words do the hurt.  
"Hello, lover." Angelus began, with a leering look toward Buffy. "Miss me?"  
"Just shut up!" Buffy replied. "Your visit will be short."  
"Think so, lover? I think I'll stick around for a while."  
Duncan and Delion didn't speak, just began setting up for the second part of the ritual.  
"Duncan." Angelus called. "How nice to finally be able to talk to you."  
"Shut up and leave him out of this." Buffy said.  
"Sorry, lover. I want to have a conversation with immortal boy here. But, then again, you're immortal, too. We could have so much fun together. I could drain you time and time again. You would be mine forever."  
"I've never been yours and I'll never be yours."  
"Do you really think there's a difference between me and soul-boy. Everytime you kiss him, you kiss me. Everytime you make love to him, you make love to me."  
"I know there's a difference. You are not Angel." Buffy shot back. Angelus was starting to get to her.  
"Come now, lover. Don't you remember the times we made love?"  
"There was only once and it was with Angel, not you."  
"Oh, so you didn't remember."  
Duncan had been following the conversation since Angelus had spoken to him, and now Duncan spoke.  
"The lady said, Shut Up. No one here wants to hear what you have to say."  
"I think she would want to hear this. How her lover lied to her, took away what she so desperately wanted."  
"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked, her face white.  
"You dream about it, don't you?" Angelus, was enjoying this.  
"Dream about what?" Buffy denied.  
"About walking on the beach, and making love in the kitchen, breaking the table. Eating ice cream, licking it off your lovers chest. Enjoying chocolate and peanut butter."  
Duncan walked over to get in between Buffy and Angelus.  
"I said ENOUGH!!" Duncan shouted.  
"What are you going to do? Kill me?" Angelus asked, belligerently.  
Buffy moved from behind Duncan to beside him.  
"How did you know about my dreams?."  
"They're not dreams, lover. They're memories."  
"NO! They can't be, those things never happened."  
"Oh, but they did, lover. Your precious Angel, gave up his humanity, let me back in. I guess, you're not worth that much after all."  
"Shut up, you're lying." Buffy said.  
"You know I'm not. If you want, I can give you all the details of the day you forgot. You forgot, even though you promised him you wouldn't."  
Buffy remembered, from her dreams, crying and saying over and over, "I'll never forget. I'll never forget." Buffy couldn't listen to anymore. All the memories came flooding back to her. She ran from the room.  
Duncan started to go after her, but was stopped by Delion.  
"No, let her go. We must complete the ritual."  
Delion once again began chanting. Angelus knew what they were trying to do, and started cursing them, being helpless to do anything more.  
"No, you will fail. I will not allow him back in. I will get free and I will drain both of you, and then I will behead you. Damn you, I will not allow you to do this."  
Duncan and Delion ignored his ravings and proceeded with the ritual.  
Delion held up the orb and it began to glow. Angelus cried out and began fighting. Suddenly, his eyes were filled with white light. Angelus then fainted.  
  
Angel came around slowly. He was confused. He didn't know where he was, until he turned his head to see Duncan, watching him, from a safe distance.  
All of sudden, he remembered. He remembered the things Angelus had said and the look on Buffy's face before she bolted from the room. *OH GOD! What have I done?*   
"Duncan, where's Buffy? I need to see her."  
"Buffy is fine. I'm sorry, I can't release you until we're sure you're not Angelus, putting on a show."  
"I understand, but, please, hurry. I have to find her. I have to explain."  
Delion walked over to Angel, with another orb. It looked like the first, but was smaller and a different color. He chanted a few lines, and the orb began to glow green.  
"The orb has determined you are in possession of your soul. The ritual worked. Duncan, you can release him now."  
Once free, Angel took only a few seconds to thank both of them, and apologize for his words, then he was off to find Buffy.  
  
Angel found her in the garden, in the same place she had found him. The difference was, she was not looking at the stars. She was staring at the ground, reliving that day, over and over, and trying to make the tears stop.  
It hurt Angel so much to see her like that. Once again, he had hurt her without meaning to.  
Slowly, he made his way over to her. He sat down beside her, not saying anything.  
She looked over at him, her eyes full of tears, and said, "How could you keep this from me?"  
"I didn't want to cause you anymore pain. You weren't supposed to remember anything, ever."  
"But, I did remember. The dreams started after I was reborn. They've haunted me since then."  
"Buffy, I'm sorry." "Sorry, doesn't cut it. How could you give up being human? It's what you've wanted for over a hundred years."  
"I couldn't live, knowing you were going to die."  
"Well, I did die! But, I came back. You gave up your humanity for nothing!"  
"NO! I gave up my humanity for you. Even now, knowing you're an immortal, I'm not sorry I did it."  
"How can you say that? You were in the sun. You were enjoying food. You could have children!"  
"Even as an immortal, you still have enemies. You could still die. As I am, I can still protect you. You won't have to watch me age and die. As for children, I don't know how to tell you this, but as of the time you were reborn, you can't have children. I don't think that has ever come up with Duncan, or he would have told you."  
"This isn't about me. It's about you. You gave up everything!"  
"I gave it up for you."  
"I don't want to live knowing you gave up what you wanted most, for me."  
"Buffy, you would have done the same thing."  
"How can you say that? I sent you to Hell! I didn't protect you!"  
"You had to, to close Acathla. I understand, I forgave you a long time ago."  
"I don't forgive myself."  
"You did what you had to do. There was no other way. You would have given your own life, if it were possible. In fact, later, you did almost give your life to save me."  
"That was different."  
"No, it wasn't. You knew the poison was killing me. You knew without the blood of a slayer, I would die. You also knew, letting me drink from you, could kill you, and yet you did it."  
"Faith poisoned you to get back at me. It was my fault. I couldn't let you die because of me. I also remember you refused. I had to beat you nearly unconscious."  
"That's my point. Even though neither of us wants it that way, we would lay down our lives for each other, with no regrets."  
They were both silent for a while. They knew everything they said was true.   
  
Duncan walked out into the garden. They had been out here a long time, and the sounds of fighting had stopped. He wanted to know if everything was all right.  
He found them sitting on the bench. Buffy had her head on Angel's shoulder and his head was leaning on hers. They were sitting in silence, just watching the stars.  
Not wanting to intrude, Duncan turned and went back into the house.  
  
Delion was waiting for him. Duncan just looked at him and smiled, and Delion understood.  
They walked together into Duncan's den for a drink and some catching up time, now that the lovers were together.  
  
Angel and Buffy walked, hand in hand, back into the house. They had not done much talking. They were content, just to be together.  
They met Duncan and Delion coming out of Duncan's den.  
Angel, once again, thanked him for all he had done.  
The four of them spent the rest of the evening in conversation. Delion had traveled throughout the world and kept them all entertained with his stories. Duncan had a few stories of his own. It was a very pleasant evening.  
At last Delion stood, to take his leave. All of Duncan's efforts to get him to stay were wasted. He said he had some business to take care of, that he had put off, and really needed to go. He and Duncan promised to keep in touch, this time. He wished Buffy and Angel the best of luck. Then, he was gone.  
  
After getting the guest room ready for Angel, Duncan told them he was going to bed. Sunrise was not far off, and he convinced Angel not to try to make it home.  
Duncan had a small grin on his face as he walked upstairs. *Not like they're going to need two different rooms* he thought. He was also glad the guest room was on the ground floor. He doubted they would make it upstairs.  
  
Buffy and Angel started to have the 'Take Slow' talk again, but their hearts weren't in it. They had been denied each other for way to long.  
Ten minutes after Duncan went to bed, Buffy and Angel were making out on the couch. They couldn't get enough of each other. Their lips explored each others face and necks. Their hands were running along each other's bodies.  
Finally, I cold warning breeze ran through Angel's mind. He pulled back from Buffy. Buffy was confused.  
"Are you sure about this?" he asked her.  
"Yes. Aren't you?"  
"I want you. I want you so bad, but..."  
"But what?"  
"What if the ritual didn't work? What if the happiness clause is still there?"  
"Well," said Buffy with a smile on her face. "There's only one way to find out."  
She got up, took his hand, and pulled him up off the couch.   
She led him down the hall to the guest room.  
  
They walked in the room, and Buffy closed the door.  
She looked at Angel for a moment before throwing herself into his arms and whispering, "Now, lets test this permanent soul thing." Then she kissed him.  
Her kiss drove Angel passed his limits.  
He picked her and took her to the bed. He lay down beside her and looked into her eyes. It never failed to amaze him, the look of love in her eyes. He still, sometimes, had trouble believing she could love him like that. But, looking at her now, he knew. He knew she loved him as much as he loved her.  
They spent the rest of the night, and most of the morning, rediscovering each other. They found each other's sensitive spots, and what, exactly, drove the other one crazy.  
Finally, they fell asleep in each others arms.  
  
Duncan went to check on them about 11:00 a.m. He hadn't heard a peep out of either them all morning.  
He knocked softly on the door. When he didn't get a response, he slowly opened the door.  
They were fast asleep, in each other's arms.  
He softly closed the door, and went to his gym to train.  
  
Buffy woke up and sat up quickly. Her sudden movement startled Angel, who had been watching her sleep.  
She looked around, panic on her features, until she saw him lying next to her.  
"It's O.K. The ritual worked." Angel answered her unspoken question.  
Buffy didn't say anything. Just threw her arms around him and held him close.  
  
They found Duncan working out.  
He stopped when he saw them walk into the gym.  
"Nice to see you two are finally out of bed."  
"We had some catching up to do." Angel replied, looking slightly embarrassed.  
"Are you up for some training?" Duncan asked Buffy.  
"Yes, I am."  
"Good, you can train with Angel. I'm still getting over the beating you gave me yesterday."  
Buffy just grinned.  
They trained for two hours. Angel gave her more of a workout in those two hours than Duncan did in four. As good as Duncan was, he didn't have the speed, strength, or stamina to completely keep up with Buffy. Duncan was wonderful with the technical applications of the sword, but Angel gave her a physical workout. Angel was pretty good with a sword himself. He hadn't used one for a while, and was a little rusty, but once he got the feel of it, it was a fight.  
Duncan stood back and watched them. They were both so graceful. They knew each other so well. It was like they were performing a dance. Duncan was almost in awe, at the sight before him.  
  
Later that evening, Buffy and Angel left Duncan's to go back to Angel Investigations. Angel wanted to let everyone there know about the ritual and about being with Buffy. He hadn't told anyone about what he was going to do. He was afraid they would come up with a valid reason why he shouldn't try.  
Cordelia didn't take it well. She and Buffy were never the best of friends. Cordelia believed the two of them together meant nothing but trouble. She knew what a mess Angel was after her last visit. She didn't want him to have to go through that again.  
In the end though, there was nothing she could say or do that would change their minds.  
Wesley was still in shock about the whole situation. He had changed alot since his watcher days, but some things, he still couldn't deal with. Still, he cared alot for Angel and wanted him to be happy.  
  
The next step was telling everyone in Sunnydale. Buffy didn't want to break the news by phone. She wanted to go and see everyone. She hadn't seen any of them since she had been reborn. Angel insisted on going with Buffy. He didn't think Joyce would take it that well. Xander wouldn't be happy either. He wanted to be there to make sure no one said anything out of the way to her.  
Angel and Buffy left at sunset, headed for Sunnydale.  
  
Buffy knocked on the door of Giles' apartment. She was a little nervous. Angel stood beside her, feeling much the same way.  
Giles answered the door and was surprised to see Buffy and Angel there.  
He invited them in and they walked into the living room. Willow, Xander, and Anya were there, deep in conversation with a man and girl they didn't know.  
Willow and Xander came forward immediately to hug Buffy.  
Angel noticed the girl was looking at him intently and figured out she was the new slayer. He knew she was trying to figure out if he was a vampire. Her instincts were screaming at her, but he was obviously known.  
Giles caught the look and proceeded to introduce everybody.  
"Buffy, Angel, I would like for you to meet Dakota, the new slayer, and her watcher, Joshua. Dakota, Joshua, this is Buffy and Angel."  
Dakota knew about Buffy, about her dying and being reborn, but Giles had never told them about Angel. She was still confused. If she could sense something, why couldn't Buffy? Was she wrong?  
"Dakota, I need to tell you something about Angel so you don't get the wrong impression. He is a friend, but he is also a vampire. Angel has his soul."  
Dakota looked hard at Angel. She had heard Willow and Xander talk about Angel, about how he had helped them, but neither one had ever mentioned his being a vamp.  
Everyone made small talk for a little while. They talked about life in LA and what had been going on in Sunnydale.  
Finally Giles asked the inevitable question. "What brings you here? Not that we aren't glad to see you, but I thought we agreed you couldn't show your face around here for at least a year."  
"Well," Buffy began. "I have some news. News that I didn't want to tell you over the phone."  
"Don't keep us in suspense, Buffster. What is it?" Xander asked.  
"It's long story, but here's the short version.  
Duncan knows an immortal from the Romani clan. He was a Romani wizard, before he was reborn. He performed a ritual that bound Angel's soul, forever. There is no more curse."  
To Buffy's surprise, everyone, including Xander was happy, but she hadn't told them about being back together. Dakota and Joshua just sat back and listened. They didn't know the whole story and didn't have any comments.  
"Guys, there's more." Buffy went on.  
Everyone stopped talking and looked at her, waiting for her to continue.  
"Angel and I, are back together."  
Willow looked at her and expressed what everyone else was thinking. "Well, DUH! We figured that out when you told us his soul was bound."  
Now, Dakota had to speak up! A slayer dating a vampire!  
"You're what?!" said an astonished Dakota. "But, he's a vampire. You're a slayer."  
Buffy turned to look at the young slayer, her eyes cold. "Yes, he is. He is also the most wonderful man I have ever met. He has saved my life more times than I can count. We tried to do what everyone wanted us to do. We tried to stay away from each other, but love doesn't care about any of it. We came back to each other, time and time again. He is my soulmate. I know it goes against what you have been taught, but it's the way it is. I expect him to be treated with same respect that I am."   
The last sentence could have been a threat, and Dakota took it that way.   
Willow tried to break the tension, before this turned ugly.  
"Have you told your mom yet?" Willow asked.  
Buffy turned her attention from Dakota to Willow.  
"No, not yet. We just got to town. You were our first stop."  
The front door opens and Spike walks in. He is surprised to see Buffy and Angel.   
"Well, the prodigal slayer returns. How's life as an immortal?"  
"Great," Buffy replies. "How's life with the chip?"  
"What do you want, Spike?" Giles asked.  
"I just wanted to let you know, a large number of vampires have gathered for a ritual honoring Loomis. He was powerful about a hundred years ago, until the slayer banished him to hell. They're going to try to bring him back."  
Dakota walks up to Spike. "What do you want this time? More blood?"  
"No, this one is on the house. Call it a gift for Buffy and the poof."  
Spike turned to Angel. They had not spoken. "So, how is my grand-sire? You still have the tortured soul thing going on?"  
"Shut up, Spike." Angel spoke for the first time. "I'm not in the mood to deal with you."  
"What does he mean, grand-sire?" Dakota asked, suspiciously.  
Spike answered. "He sired Drusilla, after he drove her insane and killed her family, and Dru sired me. We are family in the vampire sense, but we've never liked each other."  
"Spike, you talk too much." was Buffy's angry reply.  
"You mean, he didn't always have a soul? That he was just as evil as Spike at one time?"  
"Worse, actually." Spike spoke again. "He was known as the scourge of Europe."  
"Look, it doesn't matter." said Buffy. "That's all in the past, before the return of his soul. Angel didn't do those things, Angelus did. And now, Angelus will never get free again."  
Dakota wasn't completely convinced, but was reluctant to take on Buffy. She was a legend. Now, she was an immortal on top of everything.  
Dakota and Joshua excused themselves. They needed to go research the Loomis ritual.  
After they had left, Buffy and Angel had a nice visit with the rest of the gang.   
Seems, Dakota was very good, but a little uptight. They almost didn't convince her not to stake Spike. His only salvation was being able to get the dirt on vamp activity before it happened, and letting Dakota know about it.  
"It's been great guys, but we need to go see my mother. Let me know if you need any help with the Loomis thing."  
"Are you going to be in town long?" Willow asked.  
"Well, depending on how my mother takes the news, we may stay with her tonight, or we may go back to LA."  
"If you can't stay with Mrs. Summers, by all means, come back here and you can stay with me." Giles offered.  
"Thanks, Giles."  
  
Buffy and Angel pulled up to her mother's house. There were lights on inside, so they knew she was home. They just sat in the drive way for a few minutes, trying to figure out how to tell her. Buffy heard, for the first time, on the way here from LA, that her mother had gone to see Angel and tried to convince him to leave. She was angry, at first, but Angel told her, he had already made up his mind.   
Buffy rang the bell and stood back.  
Joyce was surprised when she answered the door. Her surprise quickly turned to joy.  
"Buffy, it's so good to see you." she said as she took her daughter into her arms.  
She released Buffy and stood back to look at her. She noticed the nervousness in the way Buffy moved and was worried.  
"Is something wrong?" she asked, anxiously.  
"No, mom. Everything is great. We just have something we need to talk to you about."  
Joyce didn't miss the 'we', but invited them in.  
They were seated in the living room, Angel never leaving Buffy's side.  
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Joyce asked, when Buffy just sat in silence.  
"Mom, this may be a little hard for you to deal with. Angel and I are back together." Buffy rushed to finish.  
Joyce was confused. "What about the curse?"  
"We performed a ritual that bound Angel's soul. There is no more curse."  
Joyce was stunned. Unlike Buffy was thinking, Joyce was not angry. She finally understood the depth of their emotion for each other. She had since the night at the hospital.  
Buffy took her mother's silence the wrong way. She thought it was leading up to screaming and yelling. So, she took the matter on.  
"Mom, I know you don't approve, and I'm sorry. But, Angel and I can finally be together, and this time, no one is going to stand in our way."  
"Buffy, I do approve. I finally understand how much you two love each other."  
Buffy was stunned. She had not expected it to be this easy.  
"I'm sorry. You said, you do approve?"  
Joyce smiled. "Yes, that's what I said."  
At this, Angel and Buffy both grinned. Angel had not wanted to put a wedge in Joyce's and Buffy's relationship.  
Joyce insisted they stay for the night. She even assumed they would sleep in the same bed. Angel and Buffy were thrilled.  
  
Joyce went up to bed, after a lengthy reunion with her daughter. Buffy and Angel decided to stay up for a while.  
They were sitting on the couch, watching TV, when there was a knock on the door. It sounded urgent.  
Buffy answered the door to find Spike standing outside.  
"What do you want, Spike? It's late."  
"Dakota is in trouble. She went after the vamps performing the Loomis ritual. There are 30 or more. She'll never be able to take them by herself."  
When Buffy didn't move, Spike got angry. "Well, what are you doing just standing there?"  
Without another word, Buffy gathered the weapons that she had left with her mother, and the three of them were on their way.  
  
"So, what's your interest in this Spike? Think she'll pay you a little more?"  
"This has nothing to do with money!" Spike snapped. "I just don't want to break in another slayer." he said, trying to hide the fact he had come to care alot for the new slayer.  
Buffy and Angel were not fooled, but there was no time to continue the argument. They had arrived.  
Dakota was surrounded by vampires. She was putting up a good fight, but was tiring quickly.  
The three of them jumped in, and the battle was on.  
Buffy dusted one vampire with her first swing. She did a round house kick on another one. Angel was fighting off three vamps and Spike was fighting his way toward Dakota.  
The battle lasted for an hour. Finally, Buffy looked around to see, no more vamps. She started to smile, until she saw Spike leaning over Dakota.  
Buffy and Angel rushed over to where they were. Spike was holding her in his arms. Angel made Spike lay her back down so Buffy could look at her wounds. She had been stabbed in her shoulder and slashed across the stomach. Buffy determined it was not life threatening, but she needed to have it attended to.  
Giles' apartment was the closest place, so Spike carried Dakota, even though Dakota insisted she was perfectly capable of walking.  
  
Giles answered the door half asleep. Spike didn't wait for him say anything, just rushed into the house with Dakota.  
When Giles saw Dakota was wounded, he was instantly in watcher mode.   
He calmly and efficiently cleaned and dressed her wounds. After he was finished, Dakota thanked him and turned to Buffy and Angel.  
"I just wanted to say thank you. I'll be honest, I had my doubts about Angel, at first. You didn't have to help me tonight, but you did. Thank you."  
She paused and looked around. "Where did Spike go?"  
"He went outside. I'll go get him." Angel spoke up.  
  
Angel found Spike outside, just sitting there, looking at the ground.  
"Dakota wanted to know where you went." Angel said when he found him.  
Spike looked up at Angel. "Is she all right?" he wanted to know.  
"She's going to be fine. She's heals fast, remember. In a couple of days, she'll be good as new."  
Spike looked relieved.   
"Spike, what's going on with you and Dakota?" Angel asked.  
"We have a business arrangement. She doesn't stake me, and I give her information."  
"Spike, you could never fool me. What's really going on?"  
"If you're so bloody smart, you tell me!"  
"I think you love her."  
"You're off your bloody rocker. She's a slayer."  
"So is Buffy. It doesn't matter to her."  
"You're forgetting one small detail, mate. I don't have a soul. I'm not like you. This bloody chip is all that's in between me and lunch."  
"Maybe, but maybe, you love her anyway. Otherwise, I don't see why you would get so upset, seeing her hurt. Reminds me of the way I felt when Buffy was hurt."  
"O.K. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that you're right. What in the bloody hell am I supposed to do about it?"  
"I don't know. Does she feel the same?"  
"You know she doesn't. She nearly had a fit when she found out about you and Buffy."  
"Maybe you should tell her."  
"Yeah, right. What am I going to say? Hi, love. I know I'm an evil vampire, but I love you. Do you think we can make it work? She would stake me then and there."  
"O.K., it's your life. But right now, she wants to see you. Let's go."  
  
When Angel and Spike returned, Dakota had been moved to Giles guest room, so she could rest. Giles had called Joshua and he agreed she should stay there tonight.  
Spike went upstairs to see Dakota.  
He knocked on the door and she told him to come in. Spike walked, hesitantly, through the door. He wasn't sure what to say or do. Dakota was propped on pillows in the middle of the bed.  
"Hi," she began. "Come over here and sit down." she said, patting the bed beside her.  
Spike did has he was asked, but still he didn't say anything.  
"I just wanted to say thank you, for helping me. If you hadn't gone to get Buffy and Angel, I would be dead now. I owe you for that."  
"You don't owe me anything. I just didn't want to break in another slayer." he used the same excuse he had given Buffy and Angel. She didn't believe it anymore than they had.  
Dakota had a few secrets of her own. She had feelings for Spike, and had them for a while. No one else knew. She had kept it a carefully guarded secret. That was the reason she had freaked when she found out about Angel and Buffy. She thought it couldn't happen. Then tonight, Spike was so concerned about her. For the first time, she had hope. She just didn't know what to do about it. She didn't know how Spike felt.  
"Spike, I have a question for you. Will you answer me, honestly?"  
"I'll try, Pet. What is it?"  
"Well, you help me, alot. Sometimes, you don't even get paid for it. I guess what I'm trying to ask is. Do you like me?"  
Spike didn't know what to say. Should he tell her, or deny it. He decided a half truth would do.  
"Well, I guess so. You didn't stake me when you first came to town. You don't treat me like dirt. So, yeah, I guess I do like you."  
"Not that kind of like. Do you like me like a man likes a woman?"  
Spike looked at her, but he couldn't speak. He wanted to deny it, tried to deny it, but the words wouldn't come.  
Dakota knew his silence meant yes. So, with no more words, she sat up in bed, ignoring the pain that shot through her body, and pressed her lips to his.  
Spike was shocked. She couldn't be kissing him! But, he didn't pull away. He put his arms around her and deepened the kiss.  
They pulled apart after Spike squeezed a little too hard and Dakota gasped in pain.  
"Oh God. I'm so sorry, love. I didn't mean to." Spike said, horrified that he had hurt her.  
Dakota just smiled and told him not to worry about.  
  
Spike came back downstairs, looking very pleased. Angel had filled Buffy in on everything. When they saw Spike, they knew things had gone very well. Buffy was happy for him, really. She had the man she loved and was happy. She was happy for anyone who found the same thing.  
Spike slept on Giles couch that night. He checked on Dakota every couple of hours. He had just found her, he couldn't let anything happen to her.  
Buffy and Angel went back to her mother's. They knew Joyce would panic if she woke up and Buffy wasn't there.  
  
The next night, they once again said their good-byes. Dakota and Spike stayed close to each other. They had not announced their relationship, and Buffy didn't want to blow their cover. She understood, completely, how Dakota felt. Everyone else would know, when they were ready. Willow was crying again, and Xander was trying not to. Giles was just Giles, trying to contain his emotion. Joyce had no tears. She was just happy her daughter wasn't alone.  
They made their final good-byes with a promise to visit again, soon. They drove off into the night, back to LA, to start their new lives, together, forever.  
  
THE END 


End file.
